Second Chances
by Takada Saiko
Summary: Steve has every intention of returning the Infinity Stones to their correct place in the timeline and heading back to his own. His problems start when he makes an impulse decision to jump over to 1946 and Peggy decides to go back home with him. It only gets more complicated from there when Howard tags along with them to 2023. Tony lives fix-it fic. Pepperony.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

He wasn't sure what he'd expected or if he'd expected anything at all really. He hadn't had time to think about it as he'd stared down his own living nightmare that threatened everyone and everything that he loved. A cheap trick and a cheesy one liner… funny thing, it really did sum him up in the end.

As the world faded away, Pepper's forced smile the last thing Tony saw, something else he couldn't quite make out started to take its place. Apparently this is what death was. Good to know. Maybe he'd see Nat. Get a chance to tell her they won and that the others were safe. Or maybe he'd see his parents. There was a lot he'd like to say to his father, and none of it what he would have said just a few years before. He loved him. He knew he'd done his best. It had been cathartic a few years ago to say those words in a simulation, but after meeting him in the past he thought he believed it now. He wanted to believe it now. Maybe his father would actually be proud of what his son had become.

The face that greeted him wasn't his fathers. It wasn't his mother or Natasha's. That quiet, knowing smile reached his eyes in a way Tony had never seen in life, and he felt himself echo it just a little. "Yinsen."

The older man nodded over to a table with a backgammon board laid out, two barrels like the ones they had sat on in the cave so many years before set up for them. Tony wasn't sure if it had been there a moment before but, to be fair, he wasn't even really sure where he was.

"A middle ground of a sort," Yinsen answered the unspoken question and took a seat.

Tony followed, sitting opposite of him and watching him carefully. "Like Purgatory?"

"Not quite."

Well that wasn't helpful. He let his gaze sweep the space as Yinsen set the board. As far as he could see they were the only ones there.

"Stark."

He turned back, startled by the tone that sounded like he had called his name a couple times before he had actually heard it, and saw the set of offered dice in Yinsen's outstretched hand. "I don't get it."

The older man lifted a single brow in an amused expression. "I seem to remember you having a good grasp on the rules of the game."

"I mean why I'm here."

"To play. And to talk. I have missed out talks, Stark."

Tony swallowed hard, finally taking the dice and rolling. 6-3. Not bad. "Me too," he confessed softly as Yinsen picked them up. "A lot's happened."

"I know." He rolled, landing only one point lower. "Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Everything. We have time."

Tony pushed a long breath out through his nose and reached for the pieces for his move. As they played, he spoke. He told Yinsen about getting home, about how he'd found out that his mentor was the one that had been selling his weapons under the table and how it had been the attack on Gulmira that had pushed him to creating the Iron Man suit. He told him about Pepper and Rhodey and Happy, the Avengers, and about Harley and Peter. About Morgan. His breath caught at his daughter's name and his jaw clenched, trying to keep some semblance of composure. He hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to her. Not really. He'd left a video in case the worst happened, but it wasn't the same. He'd never see her again. Never be able to hold her and tease her. He wouldn't get to watch her grow up or go to school. He wouldn't get to watch he change the world like he knew she would.

"So," Yinsen murmured, "you're a man that found everything."

Tony cleared his throat, struggling to find his voice. "Guess I did."

"Then what are you doing here?"

Tony looked up from where he was clutching the dice. "Because I did whatever it took to save them," he answered.

"And you died a hero."

"I died to save them."

"You've come a long way, Stark. You certainly didn't waste your life."

"You gave me a second chance. I took it." He tosses the dice down.

"So that's it?"

Tony looked up at him as the dice settled out in the board, not bothering to look down. "What'dya mean?"

"I seem to remember a stubborn streak in you. One that wouldn't give up so easily."

"Not really my call anymore, is it?"

Dark eyes flickered down to the board. "Isn't it?"

Tony followed his gaze down to the dice to see the winning roll. His lips quirked up, but the snarky comment died on them at the kind smile Yinsen wore. The younger man blinked hard in question, but as he opened his eyes he found himself in a completely different setting.

He was flat on his back and staring at a ceiling directly above him. The lights were too bright, the sound of the machinery deafening, and he couldn't breathe. He tried to reach up to his throat, but found his right arm unresponsive and his left tethered to…. something. He wasn't sure what yet. Every last thought was consumed with the understanding that he was _choking_ and he needed to make it stop.

Another alarm sounded as Tony tugged harder against whatever was tying him down, fingers finding something long and smooth inserted into his mouth and supposedly running down his throat. Getting it out was the next goal.

He could hear shouting in the distance and his name broke through the gaze of it. _Mr Stark_ was followed by _Tony_. That voice. That voice he knew.

Pepper didn't seem to care what the people around her were telling her to do. She pushed past a man in a white coat and Tony felt her hand catch his as she came into his line of vision. "It's okay. Tony, babe, it's okay. Just breathe."

He couldn't. That was the problem. There was something…. he tried to reach for his throat again, but she wouldn't let go. Instead she pulled his hand up, pressing a kiss to his fingers. "It's a breathing tube, Tony. You're okay. It's there to help."

"Ma'am, we need to-"

She shot the owner of the voice a glare that silenced him instantly, her expression softening as it turned back to him. "Hey. Look at me." He did, feeling some of the panic subside. "You're in the hospital. We made it. You're okay. You're going to be okay."

Tears stood in her eyes, but her smile wasn't forced. It was relieved, and slowly the pieces started to fit into place. He was alive. If Yinsen had been there or not, he couldn't be sure, but somehow he had managed to hang on until they had gotten him help. He tried to whisper her name, but only managed to choke against the tube again and she squeezed his hand. "I'll be right here when you wake up," she promised and moved so that he could see a doctor pushing medication into the IV. It didn't take long until he felt himself slipping back under.

* * *

They hadn't been able to tell her when or even if he would wake up. Pepper had ushered Peter out of the room for a much needed cup of coffee ten minutes before, knowing that if she didn't make the kid stretch his legs he would sit there all evening with her. It had become their ritual over the last two weeks: he would get off of school and immediately hop the train from Queens to Manhattan. A few days she was pretty sure he showed up before the school day should have ended, but she couldn't bring herself to chastise him over it. Peter would sit with Tony while Pepper would take Morgan for dinner and connect with Happy or Rhodey so that one of them could take her for a bit so that she could return to the hospital room. It wasn't like she was going to go home and sleep in her own bed anyway. That's when Peter was expected to head home, but he rarely did. There had been several nights that he'd fallen asleep in the chair and wouldn't budge. Pepper tried to get him moving when she could bring herself to do it, but she understood. She didn't want to leave him either.

And the one time she had he had woken up in a panic, fighting the tube down his throat and nearly hurting himself. Pepper shook her head as she stepped out into the hall where she'd left the kid. Leave it to Tony to wake up with a bang.

Steve Rogers stood with him, but Peter's attention tore over to her instantly and he stood. "Is he okay? Is he-?"

"He's alright," she assured him quickly, offering Steve a quick nod to greet him. "The doctors needed to sedate him to get the tube out and check on him. They said he'll be in and out, but we should be able to see him as soon as they're done."

She could see the relief flood through him in the way the tension left his shoulders and they sagged, the weight of the last couple weeks leaving the teenager looking as tired as Pepper felt. "Good. That's good, right? So he's out of the woods? Dr Palmer said him waking up would be a good sign, right? So he'll be okay?"

Even exhausted, his energy was overwhelming. "Yes, she seemed to think so. Steve, how are things going on your end?"

"I think we've got everything in place," he answered. "Bruce is running some last minute tests on it this evening. Or was. He's on his way over now."

"He's not thinking of going himself, is he?" Pepper asked. She knew he felt responsible for returning the stones, but between his own injuries and the fact that he'd been instrumental in saving Tony's life with his research into gamma radiation, she didn't want to think about the possibility of losing him in this. Ten seconds on their end, from what she understood, but what if something went wrong? They needed him. Tony needed him. He was awake, but that was really only the start on the road to recovery.

"Oh, no. He's staying here. I'm taking them. First thing in the morning if everything stays on course. That's why I wanted to…" Blue eyes darted past her and she couldn't help but think of the strained relationship that he had had with her husband the last handful of years. They'd put it behind them to finish this, but she could see why he might question what that meant now that it was over. No one held a grudge quite like Tony Stark, but no one forgave like him either.

Pepper reached out, her light touch pulling him around. "If you have a little bit, I'm sure he'd love to see you."

He flashed her a hesitant smile. "Thank you."

Several of the medical staff filed out of the room and a doctor stopped. "Ms Stark? He's coming back around if you wanted to-"

Peter was nearly a blur as he bounded towards the door, slamming to a stop before he crossed the threshold. "I, uh….. you should probably see him first," he said awkwardly.

"How about together?" she offered and his face lit up.

"I'll wait out here until you've had some time with him," Steve offered and Pepper managed a grateful smile as they ducked in.

The doctor followed her as Peter moved towards his mentor with as much restraint as he seemed able to cobble together. Pepper watched Tony's lips twitch up on the left side, the burns on the right side of his face making it difficult for him to smile fully. The doctor at her side spoke quietly, explains that Dr Palmer would want to do a more thorough examination as soon as she was in, but his vitals looked as good as could be expected. As they had anticipated, he had very little movement in his right arm and the burns that stretched down his right side would hinder mobility. Physical therapy would be required to get any sort of movement back and they had already sent Dr Banner the newest set of information so that he could adjust his own treatments that he'd prescribed that had kept Tony alive.

Pepper half listened, but found her attention tapering off to the excited teenager that was telling Tony some story with a full range of motions, hands flying and he was bouncing just a little. He didn't stop until Tony reached his left hand up, clumsily reaching for him. The dam seemed to break as the teen took it and tears started to spill over. "I was so scared, Mr Stark."

"Ms Stark?"

"Yes?" Pepper answered automatically.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, thank you. For everything." She waited until he was gone and steeled herself. Tony already had one blubbering person leaned over him. She'd be damned if she made it two.

Poise carefully back in place she crossed the room and found a set of dark eyes on her. "Hey, Pep," he greeted hoarsely and her poise shattered cracked instantly. Peter had the good sense to move out of her way as she circled around and took his outreached hand. "Those tears aren't for me, are they?"

The laugh escaped and she leaned down, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. "I thought we'd lost you."

"Too much to come home to," he answered. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Morgan?"

"She's with Happy. They're on their way."

Tony gave the smallest of nods. "Can't wait to see her."

"There'll be plenty of time." She glanced back at the door. "Steve's here."

"Cap?"

"Yeah."

"Huh." The sound was quiet and he seemed to be settling back into the pillows a little deeper.

Pepper's phone buzzed, signaling Happy's arrival. "I'm going to go get Morgan. You want me to send him in?"

Tony gave the barest of mods and she caught Peter by the jacket sleeve. "Why don't you come help me?"

"What? You don't need me to-"

"Give them a moment," she pressed and Peter seemed to clue in and nodded, following her out of the room.

* * *

Steve lingered at the door, blue gaze fixed on what looked like a sleeping man inside. Not for the first time he was struck at how many similarities there were between Tony and his father, even now that Tony was a good twenty-five years older than Howard had been when Steve had first met him. Stubborn, brilliant, and oftentimes reckless, it was hard not to care about the man, even when he drove him up the wall.

A pair of brown eyes very similar to Howard's cracked open and Tony offered a small wave. "Cap."

"Hey," the older man greeted as he crossed the space. "How're you feeling?"

"Oh, I'd say I've been worse, but I outdid myself this time." The rough chuckle ended with a cough and a wince. "Rumour is that I'll live."

"You better. Not sure the world could survive without you."

That earned him an amused snort. "Better stop playing hero, huh?"

"I said that a long time ago," Steve countered, not sure if Tony was being serious or not.

"And I never got an apology for it."

There it was. The blond shook his head, chuckling. "Seriously, Tony. I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks. You too." He cleared his throat. "Kid said you're taking the stones in the morning?"

"Yeah. That's the plan."

"Good. No reason to screw with time any more than we have. Maybe that'll help set it straight."

"We hope so."

"We've probably messed with time enough," Tony said softly, but his gaze flickered up, catching Steve's. "No regrets though. I think we did good, all things considered."

"We did. Listen, Tony -"

"_Daddy_!"

The squeal from the door drew both men's attention and Morgan Stark bounded into the room, her mother right behind her. "Remember what I said. Gentle."

The little girl slowed down by the bed, but didn't stop. She was just careful as she climbed up. "I knew you'd wake up," she told him and Tony's smile was soft.

"Yeah? You tell them all that?"

"Yeah."

"C'mere," he prompted and she instantly snuggled down against him, burrowed into his uninjured shoulder and holding on tight. Tony looked back up to Steve. "I'll see you when you get back, yeah? Try not to get lost. We need you."

The words hit hard, the meaning even harder. The forgiveness was stretching on past necessity. Tony was choosing it, not just resigning to it. Steve offered him a smile. "I'll be back before you know it," he promised and turned to leave his friend with his family gathering around him. He would be okay. He might never be made physically whole again, but he'd be okay. After being willing to fall on the grenade for them, he deserved that much at the very least. Now it was Steve's job to make sure that others didn't suffer because of what they had had to do.

* * *

TBC

**Notes**: I have been trying to tell this plot bunny no for too long and it just wouldn't listen, so here we go.

**Next time**: Steve's trip does not go as planned for anyone involved.


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: This chapter has major spoilers for Agent Carter S1, but on the flip side if you haven't seen the show (which you should! It's amazing!) you shouldn't have too much trouble following. Any relevant plot points are mentioned.

**Chapter Two**

He didn't _have_ to be there. He hadn't been involved with the original mission and there were plenty of people that could report back how the whole thing went once it was done, but even if Mr Stark and Ms Potts - Mrs Stark? Pepper? He still wasn't sure - were just trying to distract him while they worked through the long line of doctors that would want to see Mr Stark today Peter wasn't going to say no. It was time travel. Actual freakin' _time travel_.

"You okay there, Queens?"

Peter looked over, Captain America's voice cutting through his thoughts. "Oh yeah. Definitely! So, catch me up. What happens if you see yourself? Do you break all of time and space?"

"This isn't Doctor Who."

Peter looked over and his eyes widened. "Wow. You don't look the same in person as you do in TV. Mr Hulk. Sir. Dr Banner? I, uh…. did you always wear glasses?"

Captain Rogers and the Hulk exchanges looks that Peter hoped were amused more than irritated. The blond man shook his head and moved over to talk with the man with the metal arm. Huh. Guess he was on their side now? What all had he missed in five years time?

"Tony says you create your own webbing in the lab," Dr Banner prompted, drawing Peter's attention back over to him.

"Yeah. Yes. I do."

"I can give you a quick run through the system that we have while Cap gets ready if you want."

"Really?" the teen all but squeaked as he bounced over to the control board.

"And Bruce is fine," the older man said kindly, offering a small wink. "You're one of us, right?"

"Yeah. It's official and everything. Well, sort of? I guess. Mr Stark made me an Avenger when I showed away in the space ship."

"I bet that went over well."

"No, not really. He was pretty pissed." His gaze drifted over the mechanics. "He's, uh….. going to be okay, right?"

"Tony?" Peter nodded and Bruce purses his lips. "He's ... got a long way to go. My body absorbs gamma radiation better than any other person I've come across and it still did a number on me." He motioned to his arm still fitted in a sling. "That much radiation should have killed him. There's still a chance he'll lose his arm."

"But he'll get better?"

"He's stubborn. I wouldn't bet against him. From what he's told me he should have been dead multiple times over."

"You ready for me?" Cap asked as he stepped up into the single platform, a case in hand and a white suit replacing his uniform.

"You have enough for each of the six jumps, the return home, and you got a couple extra in case something goes wrong, didn't you?"

"I did. After last time, better safe than sorry."

"No kidding."

"What happened last time?" Peter asked and Bruce looked a little sheepish.

"My past self gave Tony a concussion and they had to improvise." He moved to set the coordinates. "Ready when you are." He waited for the nod. "Alright. See you in ten seconds."

"Be right back," the blond answered, and in a flash of light he was gone.

* * *

Steve has told Director Fury once that after what he had been through, nothing would surprise him. He'd lost ten bucks to him that day and had learned a valuable lesson: things could and would always get stranger and more fantastical than he could dream up. Returning the Space, Mind, and Time stones were easy enough. The Power Stone's hiding place left him with a reminder of just how small he was in the grand scheme of the universe, but returning the Reality Stone left him in awe….. and almost an Asgardian prison. He had left the Soul Stone for last, hoping against hope that maybe it would give back the soul that had been sacrificed and he could use one of those extra Pym Particles to bring Natasha home. Natasha didn't come back, though, and as if to add insult to injury he found himself having to follow a man he had lost everything trying to defeat.

And then it was done, and Captain America was left to his own thoughts. The pain of a lost friend and the sacrificed could-have-beens crash into him and he made a choice. 2023 could wait.

He flipped the dial back and felt the wave wash over him, pulling him through to the other side. It left him standing on a familiar street, Manhattan bustling all around, and a horn honked at him. "Hey, buddy! Outta the street!"

Steve sidestepped, the car only barely missing him, and he stepped back onto the sidewalk. "Hey, mister, whatcha wearing?"

He looked down, and a little boy with freckles covering more of his face than not stared up through coke bottle glasses. He was tiny, thin, and somehow a more familiar sight than any person had been since he'd woken up from the ice. "A costume," he managed.

"Like Captain America?"

"Yeah. Kinda like that."

The kid moved on and Steve turned towards the newspaper stand at the corner. A familiar face stared back from the front page, all charm and suave and Steve couldn't help the way his lips twitched upward as he read the headline: **Howard Stark Cleared Of All Charges Fights to Have His Inventions Returned**.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time, Howard?" he murmured, catching a few lingering looks from passersbyers. First thing was first. He needed to blend in. Once he did that he would find Howard, and Howard would help him find Peggy. He owed her a dance, and after everything that had happened, he couldn't bring himself to turn away now.

* * *

When his weapons had first been stolen from his home vault Howard had sat through three days of mind-breaking congressional testimonies. Now that it was over and Peggy had helped proved his innocence, the inventor found himself right back to square one, but this time instead of trying to prove that he didn't sell weapons to communists, he was there to argue that the government didn't get to keep them after all was said and done. He groaned to himself and downed his last gulp of water. As the senator drolling on and on, he set the glass down hard enough to stop the man mid-sentence. "As riveting as this has all been, I do have plans tonight."

"Then you're conceding ownership to the US government?"

Howard snorted. "Oh no. I've played nice, Mr Senator. Given you your say and then some, but you can talk to my lawyers. Trust me, my inventions'll be out of your hands by the time I get back to California." With that he stood, straightened his suit jacket, and flashed the balding man a shiteating grin and a wink before swanning out with the stuffy old men shouting at him from behind. Let them shout themselves hoarse. It'd do the country some good, and he had a date. Lola. Lena. Lizzie? He'd remember by the time he got there. If not, Jarvis could remind him.

He breezed through the hallway and out the front door, his steps light as he started down the broad stairs in front of the building. Lorain. That was it. Lorain McKenna.

"Howard."

The voice stopped him dead in his tracks halfway down and he spun towards it. A man stood at the bottom. He was tall, broad, and handsome, even with his face half covered by the cap he wore. Dark brown eyes traveled the figure up and down. He knew that voice. He would have known it anywhere. It just wasn't _possible_. "Steve?"

Blue eyes met his and there was a very small smile playing at the younger man's lips. "Hi, Howard."

"Holy….. how?" He was moving forward, taking two steps at a time until he nearly tripped over himself. "You're here. You're alive. I knew you were. I've been looking. I've been-"

"Can we get out of the open?"

The inventor glanced around. "Yeah. Yeah, 'course. I know just the place."

* * *

Howard had a driver waiting to pick him up that he called Jarvis. Steve tried not to stare at the man that was obviously Tony's first inspiration for the AI that had been woven into Vision. Likewise, though, he found Jarvis doing plenty of staring of his own, and he heard the British man demand to know if Howard had "mentioned this to Ms Carter yet."

"Where do you think we're going?" Howard popped off and gave Jarvis instructions to drive to the airport before turning to fix his clever gaze on Steve. "So you've gotta have one hell of a story."

"It's…. been a doozie," Steve murmured. "Where is Peggy?"

"New York. Working for the SSR."

Steve tilted his head a little. "What's that?"

"Spycraft. Our girl's still got it. You know she just cleared my name when they'd have hanged me like a traitor? Peg believed in me."

Jarvis made a whiny, noncommittal sound from the driver's seat and Howard shot him a glare. "Says the man who was gonna shoot me outta the sky. Wanna talk about having some faith, Jarvis?"

"No, sir. I'd rather not if it's all the same to you."

Steve chuckled. "Sounds like you've had some adventures of your own."

And that's all it took to send Howard into a full debrief of all of the shenanigans they'd been up to since the war ended. Peggy's time with the SSR, his countless rounds of fondue that made Steve wonder if Tony had any siblings running around out there that he just didn't know about, and right up to the most recent chaos that included a Russian psychiatrist and a leathally trained blonde that had brainwashed Howard to the point that he'd nearly doused Manhattan with a toxic drug that would have killed them all in a truly brutal manner.

He spent the car ride out to the airstrip and the short plane ride from DC to New York City reliving it all. Laughter, tears, and a black eye that Peggy had given him at one point, though he was less willing to explain what had prompted that.

At the end of it they stood outside of a beautiful mansion in New York and Steve turned a questioning look on his friend. Surely he would have known if Howard and Peggy….. anyway, Peggy would never….. right?

"I can see your brain misfiring, my friend. Don't worry. I've never been her type. She's pretty particular," Howard added with a suggestive smirk.

Steve swallowed hard. "We should have called ahead."

"Yeah? And how would that have gone? _Hey, Peg, found your man. I'll have him to you in a jif_."

The blond snorted a chuckle at that. "Guess so." He could almost feel Howard side eyeing him as they made their way up to the door. "What?"

"I get I'm not the one you want to spill all your secrets to, but Peggy's has it rough since you went down. You should tell her. Whatever it is."

It was such a switch from the teasing tone Howard had been speaking in that it felt not unlike getting socked in the gut and it focused Steve. He would have to tell Peggy… something. It's not like he could just show up, have their dance, and go home. What was he doing? Upending everything. That's what. Peggy would have a husband. A family. She might not have them yet, but she would and really, what were his options? Ruining all of that or saying goodbye all over again. He could stay, even if he didn't care about potentially fracturing the timeline, but he'd promised Tony he'd come back. Strange as it was, after all they'd been through, that held weight. He needed to go home and make sure his friend was okay. Howard's son. Either way he'd have to tell her something about where he had been. She wouldn't just accept that it was complicated.

The front door jerked open and a pretty woman with dark blonde hair came flying out, calling over her shoulder. "Don't wait up, Peg! I'm -" She slammed to a stop, eyes traveling up and down Steve to the point he was starting to feel uncomfortable. "Wait…. no way. Are you-"

"You must be Angie," Howard prompted. "Peg's roommate."

"You're Mr Stark."

"Mr Stark was my father. Call me Howard. Peggy didn't tell me how pretty you are. And you're staying in my house? We should get to know each other."

She looked somewhere between flustered and flattered at Howard's obvious advancements, but it was a voice from inside the house that stole Steve's attention. "Angie? You alright?"

Peggy Carter rounded the base of the stairs and suddenly all four of them were standing in the doorway. Peggy was staring straight at him and all at once Steve was that scrawny kid from Brooklyn that hadn't known how to talk to women, much less a woman like Margaret Carter. He couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, couldn't even think. To his left, Howard motioned. "Surprise, Peg."

"Steve," she breathed, and nothing else mattered.

* * *

It was amazing how much energy he seemed to be expending just by sitting up in bed. He could feel his body trying to nod off, determined to shut down and force him to rest, but his main doctor - a trauma surgeon that Strange knew and that Tony was at least vaguely sure had more of a connection with him than the Wizard had been willing to admit in the brief introduction - was there and Pepper was laser focused on going over recovery and treatment. It was something to keep him semi focused until the kid came back with his report. And he would. Peter was smart as he was talented, but most of all he was eager to please, and that meant he wouldn't get bogged down by anything else when he knew Tony was waiting on what he had to say.

"Dr Banner will be responsible for the continued treatment of the radiation poisoning," Palmer was saying, "while my focus will remain on everything else."

Tony's attention swung back around to her. "When can I start physical therapy to get movement back in my arm?"

Palmer grimaced. "That won't be our immediate focus…."

"I'm an engineer. A mechanic. I need mobility in my hands."

"You want mobility in your hands. What you need is to focus on making as full of a recovery as you're capable of making. Your lungs and heart took a hit. Without getting that damage under control, you'll never make it to the physical therapy that will get you to where you want to go."

Tony opened his mouth to argue, but Pepper reached a hand out, her palm resting against his uninjured leg, and the argument died on his lips. "Just tell us what you'd recommend, Dr Palmer. We'll do it."

The door opened, distracting from whatever nuggets of wisdom Christine Palmer might have wanted to bestow upon them, and Peter stuck his head in. "Oh," he said instantly. "Sorry. I'll-"

"Come on in, kid. Doc here is just explaining how my life is gonna suck for a while."

"Better than dead," his wife points out and Tony tilted his head.

"Can't argue that." Dark eyes flickered to meet a set of slightly lighter brown. "How'd it go? Cap make it back in one piece?"

There was something about the look he wore that made Tony's chest tighten. Peter shook his head. "I'm…. I'm sorry, Mr Stark. Captain Rogers didn't come back. We waited, but he….."

A short, painful breath left him and Tony heard Pepper tightened her hold on him. They both knew what that meant. Something had gone wrong. He'd gone by himself into scenarios in which they'd refused to send just one Avenger alone before and instead of beating the odds, they'd beaten him. .

"Tony?" Pepper murmured, but he couldn't find the words. It hurt. More than he could have expected after everything, and he reached out with his left hand until she took it, her support the only thing holding his raging emotions in check.

Cap was gone, and he wasn't coming back.

* * *

TBC

Notes: I adore Dominic Cooper's version of Howard, but I've never written him before now. I _love_ him him. There are so many parallels between late 20's/early30's Howard and late 30's/early40's Tony. So many.

Next time: There's not turning back for Steve now and Tony tries to manage expectations for his recovery.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The Man Out Of Time. That's what they had called him over the years since Fury had pulled him from the ice, and Steve had never felt more like it than that moment. He was frozen there, two worlds colliding, and he couldn't find the words he needed. The ones she deserved.

_I'm sorry_.

_I never stopped thinking of you_.

_I found my way home_.

_I love you, Peggy Carter_.

Instead, he opened his mouth and all that came out was, "I still have your photo."

Her smile made it to her eyes and she reached forward, her touch warm in the cool air. Her hand drifted up, fingers brushing his cheek. He watched her watching him, taking him in, and slowly her expression shifted into confusion. "You're older."

"It's a long story," he answered softly.

"We have time."

Angie cleared her throat awkwardly. "I was just on my way out, but I wanna hear this story as soon as I get back, got it?"

"I'm sure there will be quite a story to tell," Peggy murmured.

"I'll put the kettle on," Jarvis offered, and Steve had almost forgotten he was there.

Howard followed him in. "How 'bout something stronger? Unless Peg drank all the good stuff?"

"You'll find your liquor cabinet barely touched, Howard," she answered, amusement lacing her voice. She turned back to Steve who was still frozen in place. "Won't you come in?"

"Right," he managed, following her into the house that he thought somehow looked bigger on the inside than the out. His gaze swept the antique wood - was it antique yet? - and the lavish setup. Definitely Howard's home.

"Angie and I were neighbors and there was an… incident. Howard offered one of his homes for a bit."

"He mentioned you cleared his name."

Peggy's laugh was soft. "He didn't make it easy." Those pretty brown eyes flickered back to him. "Steve…"

"I shouldn't be here," he said in a rush. "I know I shouldn't. You've got a life and I'm not supposed to be here."

She reached forward, her hand touching his. "But you are. You're here."

"But I shouldn't be."

"You're not making any sense." She glanced back to where both Howard and Jarvis had disappeared to, giving them a moment. One stolen moment, he knew, and as her fingers brushed against his palm Steve leaned forward. She met him halfway, ready for the kiss that he had so desperately wanted for years now. Her fingers found his hand, her other hand reaching up to take hold of his jacket sleeve and pull him deeper into the kiss.

Finally they broke, and he found her staring up at him. He'd never forgotten how much he loved her, but looking her in the eyes brought all those feelings crashing down around him again and again. They made his next words that much harder. "I can't stay."

"What?"

"I…." He swallowed hard. There was no easy way to slide into the confession of where he was from, so he started from the beginning. She was patient with him as he wound through the story, Howard joining them not too far into it with three glasses and a bottle of whiskey. He told them about going into the ice and about waking up sixty-six years later. They held their questions - Howard by a sharp elbow to the ribs once or twice - as he gave them broad strokes. The Avengers. Bucky. Thanos. And finally the stones he had just returned.

"Time travel," Howard breathed. "I'll be damned."

"I know it's… a lot," Steve managed. "Sounds like a lot when you lay it all out like that, but it's all true."

Howard took a long sip of his drink and refilled it. "I'd love to meet the scientist that put it together."

Steve bit his tongue at that, and as much as he'd had to drink, he still didn't think Howard missed it.

"But you're home," Peggy pressed. "You've done what you needed to do. It's over. You can stay."

"She's not wrong, pal. I mean, I may be limited by the technology of my time, but in theory two of you could exist in the same timeline. Probably wouldn't even cross paths once the other one was found."

Steve tightened his grip on his glass. "I want to." He risked a look at Peggy. "Believe me I do, but you're going to have a life. Meet a guy, have a family."

"I can have that with you."

She didn't even pause on that one and Steve tried for a smile. He'd seen Tony and Pepper over the years and he'd be lying if he said he weren't a little jealous of everything the younger man had found. He wanted it. He wanted it with her.

"It is my life you know," Peggy said firmly. "I do get a say in it."

"I promised them I'd be back."

"Alright then. I'll go with you."

Steve glanced over to Howard, but he was grinning. "Her life, Steve. And if you've ever tried to stop Peg from doing something, you know you'd have more luck stopping a moving train with your bare hands." He stopped, blinking owlishly at him. "Bad example. Outa the three of us, you might actually manage it."

That pulled a laugh from the blond. "Probably not." He looked over to Peggy. "You do so much here. You will do so much."

"And someone else will fill my shoes. Just this once, I want to be able to make my choice. I choose you."

"I have no idea how to replicate what Tony and Bruce did for the suit that would get you there."

"You got yours?" Howard asked.

"Yeah."

"Give me a few days with it. Let me see what I can turn up."

He was running out of excuses. Though, if he were honest, he never would have come if he truly wanted to hold onto them. She wanted to go back with him. To live their lives out together. She wasn't the only founder of SHIELD. As long as Howard was there he would make sure everything got to where it needed to go.

Slowly he nodded. "Okay."

"Okay!" Howard shouted, clapping his hands and popping to his feet. He swayed dangerously as he did and laughed as Steve stood to steady him. "It'll be fun. Just like old times. Might even go for some fondue."

Steve groaned at the joke and his old friend just grinned. Peggy slipped her hand into his. They had this. Together, this might actually work.

* * *

He was supposed to be home by now. Or, at least, she'd assumed that he would be home by now. Tony had always bounced back from whatever injuries he suffered faster than most, but even from the grave twice over Thanos had a hold on him and was dragging him down. He had finally managed to get out of the hospital bed, but couldn't make it very far without ending up in a heap on the floor. Tony kept trying though, stubborn as he was, but he didn't seem to be building up any stamina. Instead he'd hit a wall in his recovery, slamming so hard into it that Pepper worried that she might lose him after all as he tried to break through.

There were options. There were always options, even if he didn't always like them. When he had the energy he worked on a design for a set of braces that would help support his injured right side. It might not be under his own power, but getting him up on his feet for more than just a handful of steps would help his mood. The problem was that it wasn't just his arm or his leg that was battered. His heart had taken a hit, and as weakened as it was now it left him dragging. He didn't have the energy to get things done that he was trying to do. At least the braces would help hold him on his feet and possibly even give him some range of motion in his right arm. It was a start, even if it would fix the core problem.

But maybe something else would.

Pepper took a seat next to Rhodey on the couch in the private room, her blue eyes never leaving the hospital bed where Morgan laid curled up with her daddy, both sound asleep. "He's holding back on something."

She saw him stiffen out of the corner of her eye and that was the tell. She had hit the nail on the head.

"About what?" Rhodey ventured, his tone careful.

"Options," Pepper pressed. "You give him half a moment to think and he'll come up with a dozen options. Give him a full moment and he'll have twice that."

"He has the kid working on the braces…"

Pepper turned and looked her husband's best friend dead in the eye. "There's more. If he's not telling me then he's telling you. What is it?"

"Why do you think there's —"

Pepper quirked an eyebrow and watched Rhodey sigh, his dark gaze shifting over to Tony. "The ARC reactor has been discussed."

"What about it?"

"Reimplanting it." He paused, and Pepper let him pull his thought together. "He designed the one in Afghanistan to power the magnetic, but it also worked to support his heart after the damage done."

"Could it do that now?"

Rhodey shrugged. "From what I know about it it could be repurposed. Dr Palmer liked the idea when Banner mentioned it."

"Then what stopped it?"

"Tony."

They both fell silent for a moment and Pepper looked back to her husband. Weeks. He had been in that hospital for weeks now. She had thought he wanted to come home as badly as she wanted him there. "Why?"

Rhodey didn't answer right away. Finally he pulled in a deep breath. "He thought you'd be against it."

"Against saving his life?" she demanded indignantly.

He made a small, noncommittal noise. "You know Tony. He fixated. He connects things in his mind, and you were the reason he got it removed in the first place. Somewhere along the way I think he lined up his obsession with building the suits with the reactor."

"If it'll save his life, I don't care," Pepper managed. "He knows that. He _should_ know that."

"It's Tony. He's complicated."

That was an understatement if she had ever heard one. "Why didn't he say anything?"

"He knows the stress you're dealing with," Rhodey said quietly. "I mean, how long has it been since you slept in your own bed?"

"It's a two hour trip home. I don't…. we rented a condo here."

"It's not home though. Tony knows that. Hell, Pepper. He loves you. The fact that he even notices how much you've given up to be here every day shows that. He's trying, but if you're okay with it - and you gotta be _really_ okay with it - it has to come from you."

"Do you think it'll help him?"

"Bruce and Palmer seem to."

She nodded slowly. "Then it's not a question."

"Now you just have to convince him of that."

Pepper nodded. That she could do. It wasn't always easy, but she could talk Tony Stark into taking a different path ninety-nine percent of the time. If it would save his life, she'd make sure it happened.

* * *

He was exhausted. It seemed like he was always exhausted these days. Even when he woke up his body threatened to pull him right back under, and it didn't help when he saw the sun setting just beyond the hospital window.

What did help was the feel of a little body curled up against his and Tony looked down to find Morgan laid out halfway on top of him. Her little hand clutched at his t-shirt and she was snoring softly where she was, her eyelids fluttering with a dream of some sort. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. As frustrating and sometimes terrible as everything had been since he woke up in the hospital, seeing her eased the ache. The physical, the emotional over the new losses…. Tony cringed, reaching his left hand up to run his fingers through his daughter's dark hair. He still hadn't shaken the loss from Cap's disappearance. There were no answers, no definites, and he wondered if this was what his father had felt when Steve had gone into the ice so many years before. There was a gnawing uncertainty. A painful question that lingered. He might never know what had stolen Captain American from the world. Or what had taken his friend from him right after he had gotten him back.

Tony pushed a soft breath through his nose. He'd wanted things to even out after everything was said and done. Morgan was obsessed with Iron Man, but there had always been questions about Captain America. His kid was smart. Even if she didn't know she knew it, there were questions about why he wasn't there when he should have been. Questions that Tony couldn't have answered then. She'd seen the shield and she'd known the name. He had wanted to introduce her to the person more than just in passing. Maybe give her a real figure to look up to rather than the ghost of a legend that his own father had set before him growing up. Now he couldn't. Now Steve was a ghost all over again.

"Hey."

Dark eyes blinked hard and came to focus on the blue ones staring down at him. Pepper leaned in and pressed a kiss to his left temple, the touch pushing back the pain.

"How're you feeling?"

"Tired," he answered honestly.

"Yeah." She moved to take a seat on the bed next to them, her gaze drifting down to Morgan. There was something weighing on her mind, and Tony wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it or not. It took a long moment for her to gather it together, and when she did she reached out to stroke Morgan's hair. "Would the reactor help?"

"Huh?"

"The ARC reactor. If you were to design a new one, could you make it so that it could give your heart the support it needs?"

"Hon, where're you getting -"

"Of all the things that they could do, that actually sounds like the least intrusive. Remove the plate over the cylinder, insert the new reactor, right?"

"It'd be a little more complicated than that."

"But would it work?"

He cringed, feeling like he was walking into something he'd rather not, but he didn't dare lie to her. "Maybe. Probably. Theoretically."

"Then do it."

He blinked hard. "Do it?"

"Design it. Have Dr Palmer insert it." Her hand moved to his face, her touch gentle and she held her eyes. "I know I'd told you we'd be okay…. But we need you. I need you. Whatever it takes."

A long moment stretched and he finally nodded, reaching a hand up and she took it instantly. "Whatever it takes," he echoed the words that had set this whole chapter of chaos into motion. Maybe now they would help to set him on steadier ground. He tightened his hold. "Just not here."

"What do you mean?"

"I need out. No more in-patient stays. I'm not handing the reactor specs over to someone to do it on their own. You gotta help me convince Palmer I can manage outside."

"Tony, our house is too far away…"

"So we extend the stay where you've been. It's close to the hospital if anything goes wrong, but if it goes right I can use the New York office's R&D labs, you don't end up spending every other night breaking your neck on hospital sofa. Everybody wins."

He watched her, fully ready for an argument, but it never came. Instead she leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"You've obviously thought it through. If you say you can do it, I'm right there with you. Let's get you better."

* * *

TBC

Notes: It's been a very long, very tiring day, but I'm finally getting this up. Hope you guys enjoy!

Next Time: Howard explores the tech needed to get Peggy back to 2023 along with Steve while Tony works on an upgraded ARC reactor that will give him the fighting chance he needs.


	4. Chapter 4

Note: Just as a side note, the amount of time covered with the team in 1946 does not necessarily correspond to the amount of time covered in 2023, even if they're both in the same chapter. In other words what may be the next day for Steve, Peggy, and Howard might be a week or a month later for Tony and the gang in the future. It will all make sense once Steve et al jump to 2023, but I wanted to make sure that I mentioned it in case anyone out there is crazy like me and wobbly timelines drive them crazy.

* * *

**Chapter Four **

They had released Mr Stark from the hospital sometime during the day. Peter had a text waiting for him the moment his last class of the day wrapped and he found himself mumbling excuses why he has to skip out right away. When Iron Man calls, you don't make him wait, even if you can't tell MJ that's the reason why. So he had hopped the train into Manhattan, foot tapping nervously the whole way.

He had only been to the New York HQ for Stark Industries once to make the 'internship' official, and it hadn't even been with Mr Stark. Happy had had to give him a tour of the facility. The head of Stark Industry's security had grumbled the whole way and probably skipped half of what he was supposed to show him. Peter had wanted to see the R&D labs, but it hadn't been in the cards that day. Instead he had seen a few stray offices, the kitchen, and the lobby. Oh, and Happy chasing more than one person down the hall yelling at them over a badge.

Today was different. Today was perfect. Not only was Mr Stark finally out of the hospital - that had to be a good sign, right? They wouldn't let him out if he wasn't doing better - but he'd asked Peter to come help him with a special project. Maybe it was the braces his mentor had shown him the designs for. They had been clumsily sketched out with his left hand, but all the moving parts had made sense when he had talked him through the design one afternoon after Peter had dropped by after school. He might not be a natural engineer like Mr Stark, but he caught on pretty fast. Maybe not quite as fast as chemistry, but if he had to rate them he'd say physics was right behind it. If Mr Stark was willing to talk him through it, Peter was sure that he could —

The teen slammed to a stop at the entrance into Mr Stark's private lab that he had been directed to. The older man sat in a chair, right arm fitted into the very brace he'd designed. Standing with him was a young man only a few years older than Peter. He wasn't an employee. At least he didn't look like it. He was dressed in an MIT hoodie and wasn't wearing a badge as far as Peter could tell, but he was talking through the way the new brace worked as Mr Stark carefully stretched his arm out with it.

"Yeah, we need to tighten it just a hair around my wrist."

"You didn't exactly warn me how much weight you'd dropped," the young man responded, and there was a hint of worry in his voice.

"Hospital food," he answered with a noncommittal shrug.

"Better than alien spacecraft food?"

Mr Stark shot him an exasperated look. "Really? That's where you're going with this?"

"I'm just saying you hop on a spaceship and five years later I'm still waiting on stories."

"Then keep waiting. You don't need stories. You need to pay attention in Elger's class."

"I do!"

"Uh huh. Snoring straight through it is what I've heard."

"What'd he do? Call you?"

"It's cute you think I don't have eyes and ears all over that school."

The younger man shot him an exasperated look. "Not creepy at all. Obviously I'm learning something. You called me for your designs."

"I offered to let you put it together because if you've been sleeping through Edlger's class you're gonna need the extra credit." Mr Stark smirked, stretching the fingers of his right hand with the help of the brace that ran along each finger. "You did good, kid." His dark gaze flickered towards the door. "You just gonna hang out there all day, Underoos?"

Peter could feel his face heat up at the sudden realization that Mr Stark had known he was standing there for…. well for some amount of time. He wasn't sure how long he'd known. "I, uh…. got your text."

"I know. And sent one back."

"I didn't know you'd have someone else here."

The young man flashed a grin. "Harley Keener. You must be Peter. Tony was telling me all about you earlier."

"_All_?" the teen squeaked.

"Well yeah. That you're an expert chemist and crazy quick learner. Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous you're gonna get to work on the ARC reactor. I wish I could. That thing is hella cool."

"I'm… what?"

"I mean, I could stay," Harley offered. "Lend a hand. Maybe even-"

"Get outta here," Mr Stark grumbled. "Go fail your tests."

"Gonna ace them."

"I know."

"I'll send you the tightened up version as soon as I get a chance."

"Mark Two," Mr Stark responded, his smile bordering on tired, but he offered a wave with his right hand as if to prove that he could.

Peter watched as Harley started for the door and back to wherever he'd come from and he swallowed hard. The two seemed perfectly at ease with each other. Tony. He'd called Mr Stark _Tony_.

"You with me, kid?"

The tone made it sound like he'd called Peter's name several times and the teen sputtered. "Yeah. Yeah, I was just thinking Happy's gonna have a fit if he sees him without a badge."

Mr Stark snorted a laugh. "Happy knows who he is. I've known Harley for a decade. It'll be fine."

Oh. Okay. So he hadn't just met him. Or met him while he was gone. That was a relief.

"What'dya thinking kid? I just went out and replaced you while you were gone?"

And he was pretty sure his face was bright red all over again. "I, uh, well I mean…"

His movements were slow, tired, but the older man pulled himself from his seat for the first time since Peter had walked in and took a hesitant step forward as if he weren't entirely comfortable with the brace around his knee yet. Unlike the brace on his arm, that one didn't have to support his entire limb, just help to steady him on it. The brace on his arm stretched from shoulder to fingers though, a shell that fit over his scarred arm and Peter saw the bluetooth receiver that he must have been using to control it like he used in his Iron Man suits. Better or not, he still was having trouble doing much more than twitching his fingers before fitting the mechanics around the nearly useless limb. All of his plans seemed to work out from theory to execution, though, and that had to count for something, even if Peter was wondering if maybe they had released him earlier than they should have. He didn't exactly look healthy.

Mr Stark made his way over and closed the gap. "Hey." Peter's gaze flickered from the brace to his mentor's face, and his expression tough to pin down. Almost like he was reliving some terrible memory, but he reached forward with his uninjured hand and clasped his shoulder. "There's no replacing you, kid."

"Really?"

"Really."

Peter's lips stretched slowly, the smile taking on a life of its own. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I mean… you are, right? Feeling better?"

"I will be once we get this dealt with. What'dya say we get started?"

* * *

The house was so quiet as Peggy made her way down the stairs that she found herself wondering if the night before had all been a dream. Really, if she were honest, it would make more sense than Steve Rogers showing up at her front door, an ecstatic Howard in tow, and claiming he'd come back to her because of time travel. She'd seen a lot of strange things - and, admittedly, most of them had had something to do with Howard Stark - but this one topped them all. It was fanciful. The kind of thing her brain might betray her with after finally trying to say goodbye to Steve. Perhaps she should ready herself for the strong possibility that she and Angie were the only ones there.

She heard the swinging door leading into the kitchen open and freshly brewed coffee wafted from towards her. Breakfast was laid out on the table in the breakfast nook, Angie already digging through it. Her friend looked up, fork still in her mouth, and she swallowed hard. "Hey, sleepy head. You up late last night?" If her tone hadn't been suggestive enough, the look that she gave her said it all.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Peggy answered coily and reached for a piece of bacon. "Are we sure that's caffeinated coffee?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

The door to the kitchen opened again and Mr Jarvis paused midstep, looking rather sheepish as Peggy turned her cool gaze on him. If his expression was anything to go by her suspicion that he had swapped her coffee for decaf the night before were more founded than the lingering fear that Steve's arrival had been some sort of cruel dream. "Oh, I don't know, but I think Mr Jarvis might," she said pointedly, but her smile eased the sharp edges of the words. "Are the boys in the lab?"

"Wait. This place's got a lab?" Angie squeaked, eyes wide.

"I found it a couple of weeks ago. Hidden door in the library."

"You don't say."

"Something about rich men and their hidden doors."

Jarvis cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yes, Miss Carter. I know that Mr Stark is still in there, and I wager Captain Rogers is as well."

"Oh no you don't, Peg," Angie called out as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "I want to hear everything."

"Of course, Angie. Soon."

She didn't give her time to argue as she took her coffee and started back for the library. She pulled the appropriate book forward as she pushed another at the same time, a satisfying click proving signalling the mechanisms movement. It slid open to reveal a moderately stocked lab.

Howard sat on a stool, bent over his work and, if the way his foot tapped nervously on the rung was any indication, he not only had been up all night, but Mr Jarvis had failed to cut off _his_ supply of caffeine. Well, he did sign the butler's checks, she supposed.

Steve was the one that looked over first and it didn't look like he'd slept any more than Howard. He reached up, smoothing back blond hair. "Good morning," he greeted and she couldn't stop the smile.

"Hiya, Peg," Howard offered without looking up from his microscope.

"I see you boys didn't bother to turn in as promised. Mr Jarvis has a full spread on the table."

"And coffee?"

"Haven't you had enough?" she asked the inventor and Steve chuckled.

"We should probably take a break. Howard's been picking Tony's tech apart all night."

"Tony?" Peggy echoed and she didn't miss the mildly panicked look that flashed across his face when he realized he had dropped the name.

"One of the Avengers," he said carefully. "He's, uh…"

"Cap's been dancing around names and details all night," Howard said, amusement lining his voice as he stood. "Thinks he's gonna break time and space. Got news for you, friend. She's going with you. She'll hear it all anyway."

"But you're not, and I don't want to-"

Peggy wasn't sure she trusted the look in her friend's eyes as he waved a hand. "Right, right. I'm just putting the tech together so you and Peg can have your dance. I get my place. Did you say breakfast is ready?"

"It is," she confirmed carefully.

Dark eyes narrowed at her and suddenly Howard's laser focus was directed squarely at her. "What's that look?"

"I'm not giving you a look," she answered immediately.

"Oh, that's a look," he chuckled. "It's the _I don't trust Howard _look, and I'll tell ya, Peg, it hurts. Especially when I delayed my trip just to help you out."

His tone was teasing and she offered him a smile. "Are you telling me the future holds no appeal to you?"

Howard shrugged. "'Course it does, but Cap was clear. One of us needs to stay and you've earned it, Peggy. You both have."

She pulled in a deep breath, gauging the words that sounded genuine. "Thank you, Howard."

He flashed her a charming smile and breezed past, shouting at Jarvis about coffee. Steve came to stand with her. "You think he's up to something?"

"Maybe. Probably. You dangle something like time travel in front of a man like Howard and he'll be tempted at the very least." Her brows pulled together, a question dancing around in her mind before finally falling from her lips. "Why is it that he needs to stay?"

Steve glanced in the direction that Howard had disappeared in. "He has… a lot ahead of him."

She lifted a skeptical eyebrow and saw the small twitch of his lips downward like he was struggling with something. "You know you can tell me anything, don't you?"

"It's just… I didn't really think this through, you know? Howard does a lot, but so do you. You are…. There are so many people that you help, so much good you do in the world. If you come with me, I'm taking you away from all of that. How's that fair to them?"

Peggy pursed her lips and leaned against the open door frame to the lab. "I understand that you're torn," she said carefully. "You have… You must have so much information that could alter _everything_ as we know it. One step to the left or the right could change it all. I'm not a fool, I know that, but also believe we have a choice in what we do and the paths that we take." She caught his gaze and held it. "You're a hero, Steve, but not because you're Captain America. You're a hero because of the choices you've made again and again…. You fall down on the grenade every time,, and when you went into the ice I..." She swallowed hard, steeling herself as best as she could, but no matter how determined she was she could feel those damned tears building. "I mourned. For over a year I mourned you. I'd only just said my goodbyes and hoped I could stand by them and then there you are standing in the doorway, real as day, and I got _my_ choice back."

"What choice?" he asked, his voice small, almost as if he didn't dare speculate on the answer.

"You, you idiot," Peggy laughed and reached out, her hand brushing his. "I don't just want a dance. I want it all. If I can change the world here, I can change the world anywhere. If Howard can manage it on his own, I want to choose you."

His fingers wrapped around her hand and he pulled it up to his lips to press a kiss to the back of her knuckles. "I should tell you. If it's your choice, you should know."

"Alright."

"Hey, lovebirds!" Howard shouted from down the hall. "You coming?"

Steve finally broke into a real smile and Peggy echoed it. "And you thought you missed him."

"I did. I know someone a lot like him though… Sometimes I forget how much they remind me of each other."

"Tony?" she asked slyly and his look said it all.

"We should probably get back out there before he comes looking for us."

"Probably so," she conceded as she tightened her hold on his hand, not letting go as she led him towards the breakfast nook. She wasn't going to let him go this time. Not when she had a chance to hold on.

* * *

TBC

**Notes**: This was a much more difficult chapter to write than the others because I adore Peggy so much. I came to some realizations (right along with Steve) about what taking her to the future before founding SHIELD would actually mean for her as a character. Sure, Howard and Phillips could do it. It might be different, but I think they could have gotten it off the ground without her. The point is she was there. A woman in the late 40's helping to kickstart SHIELD into being, and isn't that the core of Peggy Carter? Definitely one of the many reasons I love her. I found my fix, and I think from a character standpoint I'm very happy with the questions it will cover. It just caused a bit of a hiccup in the writing process.

Originally this chapter was going to bounce back and forth between the ARC reactor and Howard researching the time travel tech, but I decided I really prefer shorter chapters and more frequent updates for this story. I am fond of the fact that I get one of my parallels I love so much with Tony and his father working on tech that originated with the other in different timelines. It's a lot of fun.

**Next time**: Howard gets a closer look at the Pym Particles and Tony finishes the new ARC reactor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"_Shit_!"

"Shit!"

Tony turned hard to the side at his daughter's echo of his own irritated shout. She sat on one of the tables in his lab, legs swinging and a grin splitting her face. "What'd we talk about, little miss? That's Mommy's word."

"You said it," the little girl pointed out and Tony felt his lips twitch upward despite the tool that had slipped from his still-clumsy fingers.

"Our secret?" he offered and she grinned.

"I'm hungry."

"And I'm about to give you whatever you want, huh?"

"Uh-huh."

"And what's that?"

"Cheeseburger."

Tony reached out and ruffled dark hair. "Go find Pete and you've got yourself a deal."

Morgan was off in a flash to find where Peter had buried himself with the project Tony had given him, leaving her father to lean heavily against his work table. It had been slow going, and while the brace had given him some movement back in his right arm, it hadn't left him able to work at anywhere near the same level of precision that he was used to. He had had to offload quite a bit of that work on Peter. The kid had been thrilled with it, but it left Tony feeling useless. He was exhausted and frustrated and more than ready to start making strides forward in his recovery rather than the standstill he was at.

"C'mon, Pete! C'mon, Pete!" Morgan's voice rang out across the lab and Tony straightened again. He didn't want to worry the kid. Either of them. His little girl was insanely perceptive when she wasn't distracted by glitter and juice pops.

Peter came around the corner with his nose buried in a tablet, trying to scroll with the same hand he was holding it with. The other hand had been confiscated by the four-nearly-five-year-old who was tugging him forward and giggling.

Tony gave a small, lopsided smile. "She'll just take the hand with her if you're not careful, kid."

"Yeah I…. wait, what?" He finally looked up, almost as if noticing just how hard Morgan was tugging on him. Peter lifted his arm, the little girl coming with him until her sneakers left the floor.

"Fly!" Morgan pleaded and Peter grinned.

"I thought you wanted lunch?"

"Both."

"But you only get one, Morgoona," her father chided, sliding off his stool and he winked in her direction, his tone crossing the line into the melodramatic. "Choose wisely."

"Food!"

"Good choice."

She dropped and Peter reached to the tablet with his newly freed hand. "Uh, Mr Stark, I've been looking back through the archives-"

"Thought I asked you to solder the casing together?"

"Oh. Yeah. Did that ages ago. You were super busy and I didn't want to bother you, so I went back to see if there was anything I could learn from your old notes, you know? FRIDAY pulled up this file on Extremis?"

"She just pulled it, huh?"

"Well, I found it in the archives," Peter answered noncommittally and shifted from foot to foot. "I just… it seemed like it could be really helpful."

Tony pulled in a deep breath, fighting the cough that threatened. "Might be as a last resort."

"Why a last resort? I mean, I'm looking at this and you perfected the serum. It could completely repair your arm and your heart and-"

"And it's highly addictive," Tony followed up. "The more you use it, the more likely you are to overheat and then _bam_. Human bomb."

"Bam!" Morgan echoed, clapping her hands together.

"Exactly, kiddo."

"But it says here Ms Potts… Mrs Stark…"

"Pepper."

"I feel weird calling her that."

"And she feels weird when you don't."

He watched Peter's cheeks flush just a little. "You too?"

"Oh I don't care. Call me whatever you want. Just know this miss right here will repeat whatever it is, so try to keep it…. Uh, just keep it civil." _Cap-approved_ was the statement he was going to say, but weeks after his disappearance he still couldn't quite bring himself to joke about his former teammate.

Peter cleared his throat. "Right, well, I meant that _Pepper_ was dosed with it and you cured her."

"I did, but she and I have very different psychological makeups-"

"Daddy, _cheeseburgers_!" Morgan reminded him, tugging on his left hand now.

"I know, sweetie. We're going." He grabbed his coat and started the slow movement towards the door, Peter falling into step with him and the look of question clear. Tony dropped his voice. "I'm just more prone to addiction than she is," he huffed, hoping that would suffice.

It seemed to. Peter nodded slowly, soaking it in. "You think the ARC reactor will work though… right?"

"It's not a quick fix, but yeah. It'll give my heart the support it needs so I can actually keep up with what I need to do to get the rest of me back into shape."

"Would you…. mind if I kept looking into it? I mean, totally on paper. I promise not to blow up your lab or anything."

"Kid, look into it as much as you want. I told you anything's game that I have in there. I just need to finish the reactor while I still can."

"Right."

"And food!" Morgan all but howled and Tony grinned.

"And we have to feed this starving, neglected munchkin before she wastes away."

Morgan giggled and took hold of his left hand again, walking next to him as they headed for the elevator. She didn't ask to be picked up anymore. It had been one of the hardest things to get used to in recovery to keep telling his little girl no. He couldn't pick her up, he couldn't lift her into the air. He had to take a seat before she could crawl into his lap and he'd wrap his good arm around her, their new normal tearing him apart. At least she seemed to mostly understand it wasn't her fault. It wasn't a punishment. Daddy just couldn't do some things that he used to.

"So how about those burgers on 7th? They've got those vegan burgers Pep likes."

"Ewww!" Morgan groaned loudly.

"Yeah, well, your mom has weird taste. I mean, she married me."

Peter snorted a laugh at his side and agreed, even offering to text Pepper to let her know. Tony loosed a long breath. He wanted to get back to normal, and in some ways he would. He would make sure he did. There were other things that couldn't be put right though. People were dead and gone, but they were lucky. He had to remind himself of that. He had Pepper, Morgan, Rhodey, Happy, and Peter. Everyone that Thanos had snapped out of existence had been brought back. The ones they had lost would always hurt, but somehow they had to move on. And he would. He was. Slowly but surely he was.

* * *

It wasn't that he was an impatient man, per se. Given the right set of circumstances and his focus was absolute. The problem was that Howard often found himself surrounded by people that just couldn't keep up. They expected him to slow it down, dumb it down, and he didn't have time for that. That left the dumber crowd with a bad taste in their mouth. Sarcastic. Disrespectful. Arrogant. They had a lot of names they lobbed his way to redirect from their own inadequacies. It didn't matter though. He won in the end.

"You look happy this evening."

Howard turned from where he had been reading the telegraph that had just come in and offered Steve a satisfied grin. He waved it in the air. "US government thought they could take my inventions. The lawyers took a little longer than I could have gotten it done in, but they're on their way back home."

Steve took a seat across from him, back straight and shoulders squared. "I guess you'll be going with them?"

"And leave you stuck here? C'mon, Cap. Have some faith. Jarvis is more than capable of overseeing it." He set the telegraph down and he let some of the levity slide out of his voice. "We're close. I have a working prototype of your engineer buddy's design. The suit itself is solid."

"Actually solid," Steve said with a quirked eyebrow.

"Hey, friend. I'm limited by the tools of my time. If I could-"

"Howard, we've talked about it."

By _talked about it _Steve must have meant his stubborn determination not to tell him a damned thing outside the fact that Howard was _needed_ there. He'd finally broken down and told Peggy everything - though _everything_ could be an exaggeration. It was hard to say and Peg didn't let go of information she wanted to keep - to make sure she was comfortable relinquishing her would-be role in everything. There was no talking those two out of something when they put their minds to it. "Right, right," he acknowledged with a sigh. "Listen, if I can get some uninterrupted time I think I can have it ready for you in a day or two."

"You telling me we should leave you alone?" Steve chuckled and Howard shrugged.

"Why don't you take Peg out? You two are always goin' on about that dance. Why don't you actually go?"

He looked like he might argue for half a beat, but at the sound of the door opening down the hall that signalled Peggy's return, Howard saw some of the stress ease off the other man. "If you're sure?"

"Sure about what?" Peggy asked as she joined them in the sitting room.

"That you two lovebirds need some time out on the town."

He had half expected her to question his motives, but Peggy turned to Steve instead. "That sounds lovely. Be ready in thirty?"

Steve nodded, his blue gaze following her until she disappeared out of the room. Howard offered him a playful wink and Cap rolled his eyes as he started towards his own room. Howard waited a long moment before he stood and started towards the lab. He would give them time to get ready and then he could focus on making his plan work.

* * *

"I thought she'd never go to bed," Tony grumbled as he half fell, half sat on the bed before flopping onto his back to take up half the mattress horizontally.

"She would have earlier if you hadn't packed her full of sugar earlier today," Pepper answered, more amusement in her voice than real irritation as she started changing for bed.

"What can I say? She has me well trained."

A small smile perked her lips and she glanced over, finding a set of brown eyes focused on her with that look she caught on him when he thought she wasn't paying attention. The smile only grew and she leaned over the bed, pressing a kiss to his scarred temple. "You're a pushover."

"Says the woman who I'm pretty sure has never said no to a bedtime story."

"That's different. That's getting her ready to read. You're pumping her full of sugar." She took a seat, her hand teasing his dark hair and she watched his eyes flutter closed as he started to relax under her touch. It had been a long last few days.

"Were we talking about me?"

"Yes we were."

"Oh." The word left him on a breath and she thought she was going to have to wake him up to move him if she had even half a hope of sleeping on her side of the bed that night. All of a sudden she found his eyes on her again and his gaze was focused. "Tomorrow's it."

"I'm aware," she answered, the tease soft. "I have to have you at the hospital at five in the morning."

"If you want to back out, this is your last chance."

Pepper pursed her lips together. "If _I_ do?"

"Yeah."

"You sure we're not still talking about you?"

He pulled in a trembling breath and sat up. She waited at the first failed attempt, his right arm buckling despite the brace. He made it on the second attempt and they sat facing each other. "What if it doesn't work?"

She lifted a skeptical "Do you mean if your calculations are off? Because I can recall exactly one time in all the years I've known you that your calculations were off. One."

"No, they're fine. I'm not worried about the numbers, just…. the variables. There's no way to predict one hundred percent that this will give me a fighting chance to get back to normal. What if I go through this and it just…. if I don't get better?"

"You mean what if all it does is stop the chance of decline?" she asked pointedly.

He looked like he were about to argue that and thought better of it. "Yeah."

"Then we get to keep you with us."

"I can't pick her up, Pep."

"She needs her daddy here and loving her. That's what our daughter needs." She leaned in, her hand groping for his against the bed and she rested her forehead against his. "It's what we both need. Just you."

"I don't deserve you. You know I know that, right?"

"I love you."

"You too."

Pepper tilted her head and he met her in the kiss. She reached up, her fingers ghosting over the scars left behind by the Infinity Stones. He was going to be okay. If he never was fully whole again, that was alright. She just needed him to be okay and to know that he'd be there with them.

* * *

To say that the night had been worth the wait felt like an exaggeration when compared to the nearly eighty year wait that it had actually been, and while Steve wasn't sure he would have _opted_ to wait if he had felt like he had a choice, he was certain that the night had been perfect. They had taken one of Howard's cars to dinner and dancing. The music had filled the whole club and Peggy had pulled him to the floor without a protest in sight. They had danced and talked and danced some more. It was the post-war America that Steve had heard so much about and for just a little while neither of them had had a care in the world.

It was late when Peggy had finally admitted that her feet couldn't take anymore. She had peeled her heels off in the car and didn't bother to put them back on as she stepped back out. If it was the late hour or the drinks that they had had, she leaned into him as they walked towards the door, a content sigh leaving her.

The house was silent as they entered. Lights were turned down low and Steve felt Peggy stop in the middle of the hallway. His question never left him as she pulled him closer to her, her lips meeting his. His hand drifted up, brushing against her cheek and his fingers buried in her hair as he leaned into it. Her own hands had him locked in place, though he was fairly certain only God Himself could have pulled him away, and he was bordering on questioning that.

After a long moment they did finally break, both desperate for air, and she looked up at him. "I've missed you."

"I carried your photo."

A small laugh escaped her. "Yes, I know. I saw it in the reels."

"I mean since them. Ever mission we fought, you were with me. I never…. you were always the one I loved, Peggy. The one I still love."

"And you," she said softly.

"Hey, when we get back to my time, maybe…. I mean…. if you —"

"Welcome back, you two!" Howard's voice split the moment in half. Steve turned and the dark haired man flashed an innocent grin. "Sorry. You two need a sec? I can—"

"Oh no. I do believe you've effectively ended that particular moment," Peggy huffed.

The inventor shrugged. "Sorry 'bout that. I got good news though."

"It's ready?"

"It's ready," he confirmed.

Steve felt a rush of excitement followed immediately by uncertainty. He looked to Peggy. If she was going to back out, now was the time. Thankfully that didn't look like it even crossed her mind. "I should leave Angie a note at least. Howard, would you mind-?"

"I can make sure she gets it."

"And the SSR, I should—"

"Peg, it's fine. Not like you can tell them you're hopping into the future, right?" Howard teased and Steve watched her pause.

"Right." She turned a meaningful look on their friend. "Thank you, Howard. For everything you're doing."

He huffed a response under his breath and Peggy slipped past him. Steve waited and caught his eye. "Really, Howard. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, Cap. C'mon."

He followed Howard to the lab where the now-younger man talked him through the minor differences in design. He hadn't been able to replicate the nanotechnology, but the suit itself was made of the same material that would keep Peggy safe in the Quantum Realm. He had been especially careful with the stabiliser, working to copy it piece by piece.

Outside of the nanotech there was only one other thing he couldn't quite match up to, as much as he was loath to admit it. He couldn't pinpoint an exact moment to project them to. Steve's device had been damaged and the best Howard could manage without the appropriate tech to work off of he had been able to narrow it down to a general time.

"Like a month?" Steve asked.

"More like a year. I'm just not sure exactly where you'd land in that year. Could be beginning, middle, or end. My point is don't let go on your way there or you could end up in different parts of the year. You said it was 2023, right?"

Steve pushed a long breath out through his nose. "Let's aim for 2024. Last thing we want is to touch down in the middle of the fight with Thanos."

"Probably not the welcome home you're going for," Howard agreed.

"You boys ready?" Peggy asked, the suit baggier around her clothes beneath.

"Yep. One sec and I'll have you on your way."

Peggy hesitated as Howard disappeared behind the machine he had built and Steve looked to make sure everything was intact after the inventor's research. "It's hard to say goodbye," Peggy murmured at his side.

"If you want to stay…"

"I want to be with you, and you made a promise. The Steve Rogers I know is a man of his word."

The blond nodded, accepting the statement as he looked at the Pym Particles. "Howard? There are only two here."

"Two what?"

"Pym Particle capsule."

"Ah," the voice from the other side of the machine answered. "Sorry 'bout that. I thought I mentioned it. I was looking at them—"

"_Howard_," Peggy chided.

"What can I say? My curiosity got the better of me." he huffed, sounding frustrated. "I dropped one. I figured it was better not to test my luck after that. You ready?"

"Ready," Steve acknowledged, tapping the particle containment unit and the suit scurried into place.

"Ready," Peggy said firmly as she fit the helmet into place and reached down, taking his hand.

"Here we go," Howard said and Steve could hear him flip the switches necessary. He held his breath, forcing down the regret of all he couldn't tell him. All that he couldn't let Howard give up. He would found SHIELD. He'd have a son that would grow up not only to be a brilliant inventor in his own right, but a hero who had earned the name _Earth's Best Defender_. He would love. He would do amazing things. Howard would do it all, if Steve said it or not he just needed to let it play out.

A jolt startled him out of his thoughts and Steve tightened his hold on Peggy's hand. Half a moment later there was another jolt and they were being hurtled through time to land hard on the other side of the bridge made. Steve blinked hard into the bright afternoon light that shone through the trees.

He turned, finding Peggy with him and she tore her helmet off, the look on her face terrifying. It didn't take long to piece together that the first jolt hadn't been the jump. It had been someone else taking hold.

"_Howard_!"

Howard Stark pulled his own helmet off, grinning like the Cheshire Cat and he motioned around them. "So this is the future, huh?"

Funny thing. All Steve could think in that moment was that Tony was going to kill him.

* * *

TBC

**Notes**: I had no intention of updating tonight until I got to the end of it. Then that was all I wanted to do, so here it goes. It's been an exceptionally long day and tomorrow will be another weird one. Not bad, just long, and I didn't think I'd have time for this. Sometimes I just get stubborn though lol

I hope you're enjoying reading as much as I'm enjoying writing. I've been really looking forward to bringing Howard into the the future and it took much longer than I expected, though I should say that it won't take nearly as long for Tony to find out he's there. ;)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story!

**Next time**: Steve tries to figure out how to best handle the situation without admitting to Tony that he's brought not one but two people from the past into 2024.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Howard had always liked a good challenge, and convincing Steve and Peggy that he had reluctantly given up on the idea of going with them had certainly been one. Peg lived in a state of suspicion with him - especially after his fib over the vile a few weeks before - and Steve had called him on his tendency to misdirect and straight out lie more than once during the War. He had been questioning when the ruse would be up, but now the question seemed to be which one of them would take a swing first. Howard lifted his hands in defense. "It's not nearly as bad as you're thinking it is."

"No, it's worse," Steve snapped.

"How? You talk to your buddy - Tony, right? The one that set you up with that suit - and he'll be able to send me back to the same day I left. No biggie. I'll even get to deliver Peg's letter."

He glanced over to find Peggy massaging the bridge of her nose, all of the earlier joy and excitement completely washed out of her. "That's never been the issue Howard. I'm staying, but if you go back seeing all of the advancements, everything that could suddenly have _Stark_ on it rather than whatever name should have been attached —"

"Ouch, Peg. You think I'm here to, what? Steal technology? Like I can't come up with my own?"

"You don't have to steal anything to alter your own timeline in ways that can't-"

"Like taking Peggy from it?" Howard cut Steve off, the amusement no longer lining his voice. He'd expected pushback and plenty of eye rolling, maybe even a swing in his direction, but this was rich coming from them. "Yeah, neither of you have a lot of wiggle room on that one. I'm not going to destroy time and space by being here. Not how it works. Hell, I could meet myself and three generations after me and all it'd do is make for a potentially awkward situation." He pulled in a breath, trying to reel in the burst of temper along with it. "I just want to see it. Walk through Manhattan and then I'll go home like I was never here at all. You've seen it, Peg gets to see it…. All I'm doin' is asking for a chance to peek through the curtain. That's it. No harm done, I swear."

The breeze pushing at the trees overhead was the only sound for a long moment as both Cap and Peggy stared at him. Finally Steve loosed a breath. "We'll have to get ahold of a couple of people to make it happen."

"See, not so bad," Howard responded, his tone light again.

Cap didn't look entirely convinced as he pushed forward. "C'mon."

Peggy followed immediately, falling into lockstep with him. Howard waited half a beat before hurrying to join them. Well, it hadn't been smooth, but at least he'd made it.

* * *

The first thing he did was grab a newspaper. June 2024. Okay. That wasn't…. terrible. Not great, but not terrible. He'd been gone just a little under a year then, even though it had only been a couple of weeks for him. That added complications, sure, but at least it wasn't decades this time.

Steve had no idea if his apartment would have been leased to someone else, but that was his second stop. If he were lucky - really lucky - the key would be….. there.

"Checkin' to see if the maid cleaned while you were away?" Howard popped off behind him as Steve ran his fingers along the top of the trimming around the door. He held up the key that he found there and Howard chuckled, lifting his hands in defeat.

Steve fit the key into the lock and turned, hearing the mechanisms shift and the lock slide out of place. He turned the knob and pushed inward. He was met immediately by the muted sound of the television. He was sure he didn't leave one on. Mostly because he didn't even own one when he'd left.

"Someone kept it up," Peggy said cautiously and Steve made a small sound of acknowledgement.

He was halfway to telling Howard to wait outside when the creek of the old, pre-war apartment's floor sounded a warning and Peggy shouted as Steve spun, meeting his attacker to block the blow aimed at him. Both men froze and he found a set of dark eyes on him. "I'll be damned," Sam Wilson managed. "Cap. You're back."

His lips tilted at the corners and he lowered his defenses. "Yeah, Sam. I'm back."

"With friends," the other man said uncertainly, motioning to Peggy and Howard.

Steve cleared his throat. "Yeah…. Sam, this is Peggy Carter and Howard….. Stark."

The younger man's expression inched towards amusement. "Hell, Cap. He's gonna kill you."

Steve didn't even have to ask who _he_ was. He was well aware. "Yeah, I know. I, uh…. We're going to fix it. I'd rather let him know after we get Howard back to the past."

Sam lifted an eyebrow. "So…. she's staying?"

"_She_ is," Peggy grumbled, obviously irritated at being talked about without being included.

"But he's not?"

Steve could feel the tension building in the room between the questions and the lack of names and the overall vagueness that wouldn't set well with anyone. Peggy had squared her shoulders next to him and Howard…. okay apparently the tension was all Peggy. Howard was halfway into the apartment. His fingers drifted over the TV that Sam must have brought with him when he'd taken over Steve's lease, dark eyes wide as he explored every inch.

The inventor crouched down in front of the entertainment center, fixated. "Is this a television?" he managed, and Steve was sure he'd never heard his old friend impressed until that moment. Great. The twenty-first century was going to give Tony's father an aneurysm and there'd be no sending him back. That'd be about the way things played out.

"Yeah…" Sam answered uncertainly.

"And these?" Howard asked, pointing at a collection of various boxes below the TV.

"Uhh… Blu Ray player and gaming systems." He turned to look directly at Steve. "Am I allowed to tell him that?"

"I'm not sure he'd give up until you did," Steve huffed and kept a wary eye on Howard as he continued to explore like a child on Christmas morning shaking gifts under the tree.

"So," Peggy cut in. "Sam, was it?"

"Wilson," Sam acknowledged, reaching a hand out to shake her. "And you are _the_ Peggy Carter. Co-founder of SHIELD."

"Not anymore," she said tensely.

"In our timeline you are. Still makes you damn impressive. Ma'am."

She cracked a small smile at that and Steve found his friend's gaze back in him. "We thought you were gone."

"I took a detour."

"I can see that."

"And you moved into my place."

Sam looked sheepish. "We knew how long it took you to secure a place in Brooklyn that wasn't crazy expensive, and it just…. we couldn't let just anybody take it."

"We?" Steve echoed.

"You've missed a lot in the last few months."

A loud crash sounded off from the kitchen and the three vets jumped, all ready for a fight. Howard peeked around the corner from the kitchen. "Everything's good. It's fine. No irreparable harm done. You weren't attached to those big red bowls, were you, Sammy?"

Sam paled slightly. "You broke my popcorn bowl?!"

* * *

There was a shrill squeal that accompanied the five-year-old piling into the middle of the bed. Tony was halfway to sitting before his sleep-addled mind pieced together what was happening. He heard Pepper groan at his side and he reached up blindly, catching Morgan's around the shoulders with his arm and dragging her down into a hug she couldn't pull out of. Morgan squirmed and giggled, but her daddy had her locked into the bear hug, a smile tilting his lips even though his eyes were still closed

"Daddy! Let goooooo."

"Nope. I'm sleeping."

"No you're not!"

"Uh-huh."

"Nu-uh!"

"How did I end up with two kids?" Pepper groaned, and before Tony knew it there was a pillow being awkwardly smacked in their general direction.

"Pillow fight!" Morgan announced.

"Tony, I swear if you let her up —" his wife warned, but he was already loosing his grip.

"What can I say, hon? She's just too good. Regular contortionist. There's no holding her."

Morgan went after her mom first, Pepper laughing as she shielded her face. It wasn't long until she turned on her father too, and the Stark household dissolved into giggly chaos. By the end up it Tony was standing on the bed, feet sinking into the memory foam mattress, and in a standoff with his daughter.

"Drop your weapon or face Iron Girl!" Morgan announced in all seriousness and Tony had to swallow the burst of laughter.

"I thought you'd be at least thirteen before I became the villain. What'd I do?"

"Jumped on the bed and taught our daughter terrible habits," Pepper deadpanned from the bathroom that she had retreated to in order to stay as far away from the waging war as possible.

"You tried to blow up the world," Morgan told him matter-of-factly.

"Wow. I _am_ bad. You're right," he said with a grin.

"I'm gonna beat you!" Morgan announced and threw the pillow, adding sound effects that sounded at least vaguely like the energy beams from the Iron Man suit.

The cube of fluff hit his shins and Tony made a show of going down, bouncing against the bed and flopping out. He felt Morgan creep closer and he cracked an eye open. "You saved the world. Good job, kiddo."

She grinned, showing off her newly missing tooth. "Can I have cinnamon toast for breakfast?"

"Definitely." He scooped her up on his way to rolling off the bed. "Pep, you want an omelet?"

"Just a smoothie. Do we have spinach?" she called from the bathroom.

"We do."

"With banana, please."

"I think I can manage that."

"No strawberries!"

"I know!" he chuckled as he slipped his feet into his slippers, flexing the fingers of his right hand. Stiff and a little slow, they still moved on command, even without the brace. It had been a full week since he'd had to use it, Peter's altered formula for Extremis proving to do the job without leaving his brain itching for more. The kid was good, he had to give him that. The real test would come when the nerve damage was fully repaired and he completely cut himself off from the localized doses. All he would have to rely on was the glowing ARC reactor in his chest to keep his heart beating, but that was hardly abnormal. Strangely enough it had almost been like welcoming back an old friend.

"_Boss, Peter Parker is calling in_," FRIDAY's voice echoed as Tony and Morgan made it down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"What's the kid doing up at this hour?"

"Fighting bad guys?" Morgan offered.

"Maybe. If so, he missed curfew and his aunt's gonna kill him."

"What's curfew?"

Tony glanced down, finding a big pair of brown eyes latched curiously on him. The questions never ended and he loved it. "When you need to be home," he explained to his daughter. "FRIDAY, put him through."

There was a click of the call connecting as Tony grabbed for the ingredients he needed, Morgan hopping from a stool to the table top and sitting there. She started to cross her legs on the table, but one look from her dad stopped that in its tracks. She gave him the most innocent grin he was sure he'd ever seen. He shot her a look. "Halo's a little crooked there, missy."

"_Mr Stark_?" Peter's uncertain voice echoed over the speakers.

"Good morning, Pete. You're up early."

"_You too._"

"If I told you I wasn't would you feel guilty?"

There was a long pause on the other end. "_But FRIDAY wouldn't have…. you're joking aren't you?_"

"Yup." Tony started sprinkling sugar and cinnamon on the bread. "What's up, kid?"

"_Oh, uh…. hows's the new dose working out? Still lasting_?"

"So far so good, but I doubt you called me at six in the morning to find that out."

"Daddy, more cinnamon," Morgan instructed and be quirked an eyebrow before dumping more on. She gave a nod of approval.

"Not that I don't like hearing from you, kid, but —"

"_CaptainRogersisback_."

It took a long moment for his pre-caffeinated brain to work through the run-together words, and even as he did he had trouble believing them. His hands stilled, his eyes unblinking. "What?"

"_Captain Rogers is back,_" Peter said again, slower this time.

"Back?"

"_Yeah_."

"How…? And how long?"

"_I don't know the details. I shouldn't even be telling you…_."

"Like hell you shouldn't," Tony growled. "Where'd you hear it?"

"_Uhhh….. through the Avengers grapevine._"

Avengers grapevine? What did that even mean? Tony hadn't been _that_ far out of the loop. "Where is he?"

"_His place. In Brooklyn. From what I heard_," Peter said, his voice entirely uncertain.

Tony pulled in a steadying breath. "Okay. I'll get to the bottom of it. Just…." He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Peter didn't need any other pressure on him right then. "Thanks, kid. You did good."

"_Really? I didn't break some kind of code or something, did I?_"

"Probably, but you kept the one that mattered. I'll be in the city today. I'll drop by and we can talk after you're out of school."

"_I'm… on summer break_?"

"Right. Okay. Good. After I get done one Brooklyn."

"_Do you need the address_?"

"No, I've got it." He glanced up at the speaker. "End call."

"Is Uncle Steve in trouble?" Morgan asked from the table.

"He's got some explaining to do," her father grumbled.

"Can he explain after you make cinnamon toast?"

Tony blinked at the half put together breakfast he'd promised his daughter. "Yeah, sweetie. Uncle Steve can wait."

* * *

It was one delay after another. First breakfast, then Pepper decided she needed to go into the city that day too, so instead of hopping in the car and going, Tony was waiting on his wife and daughter to get ready. She could tell him all day long that she needed to go into the office for this or that, but she hadn't let him drive the two hours from their cabin into the city alone since they had moved back out. He had the OK from every doctor that mattered saying that he could drive again, but that didn't seem to satisfy her. _What if something happened? _It was a lingering, albeit unspoken fear, and as much as he would like to he couldn't quite hold it against her. Or tell her no. It was one less thing she had to worry about, even if he knew he was doing better than he had been in a long time.

"Do we get to see Pete?" Morgan asked as she bounded down the stairs, fully dressed and ready to go.

"Yep. After I talk to Uncle Steve."

"Can I see Uncle Steve too?"

"Why don't we let your daddy talk to him first? You can help me at the office," Pepper offered and she looked ready for a board meeting. Maybe she really had been planning to go in that day.

Morgan made a face at the idea and Tony reached out to ruffle her hair. "I won't be long."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"You ready?" Pepper asked as she grabbed the key fob from the ring by the door.

"Any chance you'll let me drive?"

Surprisingly enough she tossed the key his way and he reached up, thankful that his fingers chose to wrap around it rather than let it clatter to the floor. If it was a test or not really didn't matter. He felt like he'd won something in that. One more small step forward.

The trip was filled with Morgan's chatter in and around Pepper filling him in on the meetings she had scheduled for that day. Happy would meet her there and make sure Morgan wouldn't be too bored. Tony was sure that their head of security just _loved_ the idea of being put on babysitting duty.

By the time he dropped them off at their New York headquarters plans had changed five times before finally settling on calling Peter to come keep her occupied. He left the situation in the best of hands before turning the Audii towards Brooklyn, his mind racing in the fresh silence. They had told him that Cap hadn't made it back, which they had all taken to mean that something had happened to him. What, they couldn't be sure, but popping back up nearly a year later didn't make any sense. Not telling Tony that he was back made even less. He had thought that, after everything, they were good. When he had left they had been good.

Tony pulled the car up to an apartment building that he'd never seen in person. It was old. Pre-war. Just the type Cap would have gone for. Sam Wilson had moved into it when Cap hadn't come back, so he must know that Steve was home. Who was next in the so-called _Avengers grapevine_ was anybody's best guess. He still wasn't sure how Peter had found out, and he'd been too surprised that morning to press the kid on it.

A tap came at his window and Tony jumped in his seat, turning to find a patrol cop leaned down. "You lost, buddy?" he asked, but as Tony rolled the window down he watched surprise take hold.

"Nah, I'm good. Just here to see a friend."

"Holy crap. You're Iron Man."

"Used to be."

"I heard what you did…. everybody did. Are those —"

He was motioning to the scars that lined the right side of Tony's face and the former Avenger immediately opened the door. "'Scuse me, but I'm already late. You mind?"

"Oh yeah. Yeah, sure. Listen, if it's not too much trouble, my son is a huge fan of yours."

Tony offered a thin smile. "Sure, what's his name?"

A scrawled signature and photo later Tony was on his way up the flights of stairs, feeling it by the time he reached Cap's floor.

He stopped at the door, pulling in a shaky breath and steadying himself. It was fine. He'd get answers and that irritating, nagging feeling of being purposefully left in the dark would dissipate. Cap was always annoyingly consistent in having his reasons for doing things. He reached up, ready to tap against the door as it pulled open from the inside.

Suddenly Steve Rogers was standing right in front of him, a look of surprise plastered on his face. "Tony," he breathed, a little guilt around the edges of his name.

"Knew you were forgetting to tell someone something, huh?" Tony tried for a quip.

"Steve, is really like to see —" The woman who owned the voice rounded the corner and slammed to a stop. "Oh. Hello."

Steve sucked in a breath. "Tony, this is —"

"Peggy Carter," Tony finished for him, the first real smile touching his lips since that morning. "This is all making a lot more sense."

"You're not mad?"

The question sounded too small to be coming out of Captain America's mouth and Tony cracked a grin as he stepped into the apartment. "Well, you're not gonna shatter time and space, I don't think. I'm sure her new timeline will find a way to compensate." He turned to meet his friend's eyes. "You deserve a little happiness after everything. I get it, Cap."

A rush of air left the older man. "You don't know how good it is to hear you say that."

"That doesn't mean I'm not gonna hold this over your head until one of us finally bites the dust."

"Cap, did you say _Tony_? Your inventor friend?" a voice called out and Tony looked over. That voice sounded like —

"Holy shit," Tony breathed as Howard Stark rounded the corner.

* * *

TBC

**Notes**: And to think I thought this chapter was going to be on the short side... I had a lot of fun with this one. Pepperony fluff, Iron Fam, and Tony realizing that Steve not only brought one person back from the 40's, but two... the other being his dad. I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long time lol Even more so the next chapter.

**Next Time**: Tony tries to process what's going on and Steve asks for help.


	7. Chapter 7

Just a quick warning: this chapter may should be rated a bit higher for Tony's meltdown language. Very brief and I think it still ranges in the scope of PG-13, but better safe to warn than not.

**Chapter Seven **

Tony couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He stretched out his left hand, checking to make sure he wasn't having a heart attack where he stood. Nope. Feeling there. Maybe a stroke. That was an increasing possibility. Anything made more sense than the man standing in Cap's hallway that was a distinctly younger version of the man he'd know growing up. A man with jet black hair and mustache, curious dark eyes, and a grin that just wouldn't stop.

He was dreaming. That was it. This whole thing had to be a dream.

"Is this Tony?" Howard demanded, half bounding forward and suddenly he was shaking Tony's hand. "I saw your work with the stabiliser and I gotta say - and I'm not easily impressed - but that that was elegant, my friend. You are _talented_. The way you solved the time-jump issue was…."

He was still shaking Tony's hand and the other man couldn't find the words. Any moment he was going to wake up, right? Right. Any moment now.

"Tony?" Cap called quietly and dark brown eyes flickered over to meet blue.

He didn't get a chance to respond, though. Another figure rounded the corner. "Everything okay out here?"

From terrible to catastrophic in point five seconds. That was his morning in a nutshell. Tony felt his mood shift from shock to boiling anger at the sight of James Barnes coming to stand next to his too-young and far too oblivious someday-to-be father. Tony turned the rage on Steve. "What the ever-loving fuck were you thinking?!" he all but screamed. Any other time he would have been rather proud at the shade or two Steve paled. With the way he stiffened and may have even take the smallest steps back from the shorter man. Not now though. At just that moment he was too pissed.

"Tony, I never meant for —"

"Well ya did, and then _this_?!" He motioned back at Barnes. "Are you _trying_ to break the timeline?"

"Hey, you don't have the full story," Barnes growled.

Tony spun on him. "Pipe down, Jamie Lannister. You don't get a say in this. And get away from him." He motioned to a very confused Howard.

Steve reached out and blocked Barnes' advance even as Tony squared his shoulders, still several inches shorter than either Super Soldier.

"Mr _Stark_," Peggy Carter snapped, pulling every eye over to her, but her eyes were focused on Tony. "It is _Stark_, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Tony managed.

"Wait…. you're-"

"Peggy, how did you-?"

She cut both Howard and Steve off mid-question. "Is it really that hard to deduce? _Look_ at him. He looks just like Howard. A bit a bit older, but there's no question. Otherwise why would you have worked so hard to hide it?"

There was a silence that settled over the room and she huffed a long-suffering sigh. "We didn't intend for Howard to come with us. It was a fluke in the design he hastily pulled together."

Tony followed her quick glance over to Howard and how he clenched his jaw just a little, like he was swallowing what could have been a swipe at his attempt to replicate the tech. Of course Steve had gone to his father for that. Of course he had. "He's going back," Tony said tightly.

"Yes." Steve's answer was instant.

"You used up the Pym Particles getting them here, didn't you? We'll need to —"

"Get ahold of Hank Pym," Steve cut in. "I've been trying for days. He's a hard man to reach."

Tony snorted. "Yeah, he's an asshole, but you tell him Howard Stark is here and he'll throw them at you to make him go away."

"So we've heard," Barnes said and Tony had to resist the urge to tell him to zip it again. "Sam's looking for Lang now."

So Steve had been back long enough to get home, talk all of this over with Wilson and Barnes, try to reach out to Pym enough to scratch the direct approach, and sent Wilson for Lang. A week? Maybe a week and a half. Long enough to have at least dropped him a line.

"Tony," the blond called softly and the younger man's attention snapped to him again. He looked like he felt guilty. Good. "Listen, I um…." He looked over to the crowd that lingered. "Give is a second?"

Howard looked like he might argue, but Peggy ushered him out of the hall, Barnes following behind. Tony watched the crowd retreat into whatever part of the apartment they were heading for and pulled in a steadying breath. "Okay," he said, his voice tight and controlled. "Start from the beginning."

* * *

He didn't hold back. From the moment he left the hospital to the different stopping points with the stones, and through to what had become an impulse stop off in 1946. Tony didn't say a word, which rarely boded well, but Steve kept going right up to the point that Howard had hitched a ride with them. "Peggy knew he was up to something. I should have —"

"You said time travel and you sealed the deal, Cap," Tony huffed, sliding down the wall he had been leaning against to take a seat. Steve took a hesitant step towards him and was waved off. "I'm good. Just processing."

At least they'd moved into that phase. In his experience, bringing Tony out of a rage could be nearly impossible. That was all on him to do. He'd been willing to listen, though, and that seemed like a good sign.

Steve shifted where he stood, letting his gaze drift over the other man. Last he'd seen him he had been in the hospital attached to machines by more wires than he'd bothered to count. He hadn't been able to lift his right arm, much less wave it around in an angry rant. The scars were still there, deep and dark all along the side of his face, down his neck so that they disappeared under his shirt, and reappeared at the end of his sleeve to wind down the tan skin to fingers that still shook just a little. He looked tired, frustrated, but more whole than Steve had dared hope for. He wondered if that soft blue glow under his t-shirt has anything to do with it.

"What?"

Blue eyes blinked hard, meeting brown. "You look better."

"Hope so. It's been a while."

The blond cringed. "Yeah, but when I left…"

Tony tapped at the light, a familiar clinking sounding from the movement. "Made some upgrades to give myself a fighting chance. So far so good. How long have you been back?"

"Little over a week," he admitted softly. "I knew your plate was full. I didn't want to add to it if I could help it."

"Because keeping secrets to protect me have worked out so well in the past."

"Yeah," Steve huffed, memories flickering across his mind. Tony's look of utter betrayal and the no win situation that he had been in between two friends. He couldn't relive that.

Tony stood, his movements slow and he still leaned just a little heavier to his left. He straightened, shoulders squared and chin tilted up. "I need to know I can trust you, Cap. This… him here like this…"

"You can," Steve swore.

"Good." The younger man's lips twitched up at the corners and he reached out, patting Steve's arm in a playful manner he'd never thought he would miss as much as he had. "So, lets go get my dad's future murderer away from him so that he can survive long enough to get back to the past."

Steve quirked a blond eyebrow "You know they were friends, right?"

"Huh?"

"In the war. Your dad flew us when no one else would go into certain zones. The Howling Commandos loved him. Said he was the only civilian crazy as them."

"He must have left that one out of the endless stories," Tony grumbled.

"Probably didn't want you getting any ideas of hopping in a pilot's seat and flying straight into combat when you got older," Steve chuckled. Or a suit. There were more similarities between the two men than Tony likely knew.

"Doubt it ever crossed his mind that I'd be willing to." He turned, starting forward.

Steve reached out and caught him by the wrist. "Tony, listen. Howard's…. You and I knew very different Howard Starks, I get that, but the man in there… he's not the jaded one you've described. He's a good guy. Don't blame him for things he hasn't even done yet."

"If you say so, Cap. Let's just get him back to where he came from."

* * *

It wasn't a surprise that his friend was upset. There was a lot of history there. Good, bad, and over the past week Steve had admitted that his own actions hadn't helped with Tony's trust issues along the way. He had struggled with if he should reach out to him or not, but Peggy knew that his heart was in the right place. If the quieter conversation was anything to go by, maybe Tony saw that too.

It was difficult to find a way to discreetly listen when Howard hadn't stopped talking since they'd been shuffled off to let Steve smooth things over. He was _ecstatic_. He took a seat next to Sergeant Barnes, laughing and joking, slipping questions in about Tony here and there like everyone in the room didn't know what he was trying to do.

"Even if I wanted to bust your future wide open, Howard, I couldn't tell you. Stark and I aren't what you'd call close."

He flashed that charming grin of his and gave the larger man a playful punch to the arm. "C'mon. You've got to know something. Anything."

Peggy's lips tugged down at the way Sergeant Barnes' shoulders sagged just a little and the strange glint of guilt in his eyes. "I wish I could, Howard. More than anything."

"You people are all so nervous. Where's your sense of adventure, huh? I'm not gonna break the universe."

"When you mess with time it tends to mess back," Tony's voice pulled their attentions back to the hall as he and Steve rounded in from it. Dark brown eyes, a little mischief in them just like Howard's came to rest on her. "And we're screwing with it pretty hard."

"Are you saying I should go home?"

"Nah. I'm saying he should."

Howard's mustache drooped. "Way to single me out, kiddo," he chuckled, much more pleased with the irony of their age difference than Tony seemed to be.

"Don't call me that."

"Tony then. Short for Anthony? That was my uncle's name. You probably know that, though." Howard stood from his spot, a little more serious now, even if the excitement still rolled off of him in waves. "Who'da thought I'd be a father, muchless raise the man that cracked time travel." His grin returned. "Definitely a Stark. Are you —"

"The less you know about me the better." He turned his attention over to Peggy, offering Sergeant Barnes only a brief glance. "Cap and I are going to go see Pym."

Peggy tilted her head. "I thought no one could reach him?"

"Like the man said, I'm a Stark. That opens up doors. Manchurian Candidate, keep your distance." He finally turned, possibly meeting Howard's gaze directly for the first time since he'd seen him there. "We should have you home by dinner time."

Tony turned in his heel, heading for the door and Peggy caught Steve's sleeve before he could follow. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to. She saw the stress there, the pleading for understanding and patience. There was more to this than she knew, but he couldn't explain in front of Howard. So she nodded, the acknowledgment of trust between them and they were gone.

She waited until the door closed behind them and locked before she turned back to Howard. He looked like every ounce of excitement had been crushed out of him. "He hates me."

"He knows you have to go," she tried, but Howard shook his head.

"I know that look. Same one I gave my ol' man. I just…. guess I'd hoped if I ever had kids I'd be better than him."

Sergeant Barnes stood quietly, making his way into the kitchen to give them some privacy. Peggy reached out. "Let's not jump to conclusions, shall we?"

He tried for a smile that didn't reach his eyes and Peggy patted his shoulder. If nothing else, she hoped perhaps his fear could be proven wrong.

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: Well this chapter just sort of fell together and then Howard kicked me in the feels hard. Honestly, I thought it'd take him a lot longer to catch onto Tony's daddy issues, but my guess is that they probably share a lot of the same ones, just in different ways. Howard's father sold fruit on the Lower East Side, according to S1 of Agent Carter, so my guess is that even if Howard Sr was clever he didn't get a chance for the education that his son did. I could see a lot of strife, especially looking at the time period. I'm really excited to get to this point in the story where Tony and Howard are going to be coming head-to-head quite a bit. Don't worry. Tony's calculations on when he's sending his dad home might be a little off :P

**Next Time**: Things don't go as planned when Tony and Steve visit Hank Pym.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

She'd missed his call while in one of the five back-to-back meetings she had set up for the day, and when Pepper managed to find two minutes to call him back she heard jet engines in the background. Well, that hadn't been what she expected. Of course, neither was the fact that Steve Rogers had brought Tony's father into their time from 1946. No, she was pretty sure that there had been no way to prepare for that one.

"So why are you getting on a plane?" she asked, motioning at the impatient board members that she would only be a moment more.

"_Because Cap used the last of the Pym Particles up getting them here,_" Tony answered, sounding tired.

"_Howard coming was not intentional,_" she heard Steve argue and the smallest of smiles perked her lips.

"Tell Steve welcome home. Are you going to San Francisco then?"

"_Yeah. Might be late for dinner._"

"Just a little."

"_We should have it all wrapped up by tonight though_."

"Don't go jinxing yourself."

"_Ha_."

She adjusted the phone in her hand, risking a glance at the men waiting on her. "How are you doing with it?"

"_I feel fine, Pep. Promise, I —_"

"I mean with Howard," she clarified, her voice barely above a whisper. He'd struggled so much with the ghost of his father over the years. Every time she thought he had finally been able to put it to rest something came along to reopen old wounds. This last time, when they'd traveled to find the Infinity Stone, it had seemed to help heal them just a little more. She hoped that this wouldn't undo the closure he'd gotten.

She heard a small sound of acknowledgement. "_Get back to you on that?_"

"I'll hold you to it."

"_Listen, hon, we're about to take off. I'll grab a car here when I'm done, so don't worry about me getting home. Could you…. when you're done with everything, could you send Pete over to Cap's place?"_

"Sure. Why?"

"_Uhh… just left Howard there and he —_"

"_He doesn't trust Bucky with him_," Steve's voice filtered through. "_What? You thought you were keeping that a secret_?"

"Play nice, boys," she chided softly. "And yes. I'll make sure the kid stops by after I release him from Morgan duty."

"_Thanks, Pep. What would I do without you?_"

"Oh we've seen it. There tends to be a lot of wallowing. Pretty sure you still don't know your full social."

"_I love you._"

"You too. Be safe." She ended the call and loosed a long breath. One more meeting, then she had to handle Tony's father. Things were never dull around the man she loved.

* * *

Steve had spent over a week just trying to navigate through the web that made up Pym Technologies to get to Hank Pym. He'd even tried to reach his daughter a couple of times, but he'd been blocked at every attempt. That was when he had sent Sam out to find Scott, but even that was turning up empty.

Tony, on the other hand, had them on a private plane, flown across the country, and walking through the front doors all in the same day that he'd discovered the problem. As Steve followed behind he was reminded that he'd taken a step into a world Tony navigated well. He should have just told him. It would have saved them both a lot of headache.

"Hey?" he called out. The younger man paused mid-step through the lobby, but it took a long moment before he turned. Steve shook his head. At least some things never changed. Tony did love making a show of things. "This is my fault. I know you and Pym don't exactly see eye to eye, so I'll—"

"I have literally never met the man."

"Really?"

"Rea…. no wait. No. There was one time when I was really young. Like… four. I don't know. It was before I went off to boarding school. It's fine." He stopped as if he were trying to recall a specific memory. "Mostly fine. I'm sure he's over it."

Steve wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know. Even if he did, Tony didn't seem to be interested in telling him. Instead he barreled forward again and Steve had to quicken his pace to catch up.

The security guard at the elevator stopped them until Tony removed his sunglasses and flashed a smile, leaving the guard sputtering and apologizing. He hadn't recognized him. "Hank still up on the top floor?"

"Yessir. He didn't mention —"

"Okay, thanks."

"Mr Stark, you'll need a key card to get up there," the guard managed as Steve passed by.

"No I won't."

He was already pulling his phone from his pocket as Steve followed him into the elevator and the doors snapped shut. Tony pried open the pannel and he was in the system faster than Steve could follow his fingers flying across the clear screen of his Stark phone. "Well, this probably isn't going to garner any good will."

Dark eyes flickered up from the screen and over to him. "I'm sorry, how long did you wait on hold with his secretary?"

"I didn't make it to his secretary," Steve admitted quietly.

"My point exactly." The chime sounded as they reached the top floor. "And if he used Stark Industry security, nobody'd be able to do this."

Steve quirked an eyebrow. "Not even you?"

"Oh, I always can. He just made this too easy." He looked over to the approaching, frenzied secretary. "You use Hammer Tech for your security, don't you? Explains a lot."

"I'm sorry, Mr Stark, but Dr Pym is very busy. You don't have an appointment."

"Don't need one."

"I'm afraid you do."

Tony snorted, amused. "Why don't you ask Dr Pym what it was like to be snapped out of existence one second and back in five years later? Oh yeah. He can tell you because we got him back. I think he can spare ten minutes."

The woman stared at him, and she was at a loss for a response even as the large office doors behind her opened and Hank Pym stepped out, chuckling the whole way. "It's okay, Vicky. This won't take long. Tell Bryan I'll be on the call in ten."

She nodded and Pym motioned for them to follow.

Tony moved immediately, and Steve found himself eyeing every corner of the large, expensively decorated office. It was different than the ones at Stark Industries or even at SHIELD. His attention immediately snapped back to Pym as he spoke, dark blue eyes fixed on Tony.

"You do know how to make a stir. You always have." Pym turned to Steve. "Pleasure to finally meet you in person, Captain. I hear you've been trying to get ahold of me."

"For over a week now," the blond confirmed. He knew he'd been reaching out but hadn't bothered to answer. That didn't look good.

"Listen, Hank. We won't take up too much of your time," Tony started in as Pym circled around his ornate desk and took a seat in the chair, steeping his fingers.

"Or any of it, really. I'm sorry you came all the way across the country to leave empty handed, but you're not getting what you came for."

"You know what we're here for?" Tony asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well I know your patriotic friend there isn't here to return the Pym Particles I loaned him to make sure he got home in one piece. I hear he wants more. Or you do."

Steve's expression hardened a little watching the CEO who looked like he thought he was sitting on a throne rather than in a desk chair.

"Alright. You know what we want. You know why?" Tony asked after a long moment.

"Why doesn't matter," Pym huffed. "Listen, I appreciate what you kids did. I know you… sacrificed to bring us all back. To beat Thanos." His gaze flickered to the visible scars that the Infinity Stones had left Tony with. "But I'll be damned if I let my tech, my life's work, fall into the hands of a Stark."

The two men were locked in a silent battle of wills that Steve could only watch. He had known that Pym hated Howard and likely held a grudge against Tony for it as well. They had both hoped for a better reception than this. Granted, neither of them had known what Pym knew until that moment. If they had, they might have taken a different approach.

If they had known, it could have changed their minds. He pulled in a breath. "You hate Howard Stark that much -"

"He and SHIELD tried to steal my research."

"Then you're going to want to lend us a vial."

Tony turned to look at him, a warning silent but clear. Steve ignored it. He knew Tony would want to keep the number of people that knew his father had jumped into their time as limited as possible, but this was the only way Steve could see winning Pym over. "I went back to 1946. Howard Stark hopper a ride back with me."

The room fell silent and Pym sat back. He hadn't known that piece of the puzzle. Good. Maybe the gamble would pay off.

"Pre-SHIELD Stark?" Pym confirmed, his voice thin.

"Yes."

"We just want to send him home," Tony added quietly. "We don't want to steal your tech, Hank. We just want to set things straight."

"Maybe you already have."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked carefully.

"He's here. He can't start SHIELD. Can't add his influence to it."

Tony sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose in the first real sign of stress Steve had seen since they'd entered the building. "You're not going to change your past. That's not how —"

"You think I don't know that?" Pym snapped. "But Rogers here opened up a branch timeline. There's another me out there that will never have worked for SHIELD, never have to deal with your father. From the look you gave him, you're trying to keep him underwraps. I can live in a world with him hidden half a country away if it gives another me that chance."

"You've got to be kidding me," Steve managed.

Tony took a step forward, leaning against the desk, his fingers curling around the outer edge. "You're taking petty to a dangerous level here, Pym. The intention was never to bring my dad forward. Having him here—"

"What were you doing in '46?" Pym asked Steve with an irritating smirk. "I mean, that wasn't one of the stop off points, was it?"

"So you're not willing to help us?" Steve asked tightly.

"Nearly anything else, gentlemen, but not this. Security will see you out."

Steve looked to Tony who gave the smallest shake of his head. Not until they were out. They remained quiet as they were escorted downstairs and out the front door. It wasn't until they were halfway down the street to where they had left the car that Tony reached up to his glasses. "FRIDAY, be a dear and activate the decryption program from the little present I left in Pym's office."

If the AI system acknowledged him, Steve couldn't hear it, but if the amused look on Tony's face was anything to go by, she was doing just as he asked. "So what? He doesn't give it to us and you'll just take it?"

Tony shrugged. "I'd rather not, but we need his tech to get Howard back. Don't look at me like that. I have no interest in keeping his formula. I'll crack the code, cook up a vial, and send him on his way. Everybody's happy."

"You're not a chemist."

"But I am a genius. I catch on, and for what I can't, the kid can help. He's got a knack for this sort of thing."

Steve watched him for a long moment before finally nodding. If Tony thought he could safely recreate the Pym Particles, he'd trust him on it. He'd have to.

* * *

Peter liked to think he took things in stride. Sort of. Kind of. Most of the time. It was really all about perspective. Compared to hopping onto an alien spacecraft and flying to some other galaxy to fight a big purple dude who snapped him out of existence for five years, he couldn't think of much that should be hard to wrap his mind around. Even Captain Roger's sudden appearance back, while surprising, had to have some sort of explanation that made sense. He just hadn't thought that explanation would include two other people from the past coming back with him and Mr Stark on a plane with Cap flying cross-country.

"I, uh…. so is there anything I should know about his…. dad?"

Pepper - who had called Happy to watch Morgan so that she could go with him to Brooklyn - glanced over from the driver's seat. "Tony was worried about his safety."

"Because of Bucky?" Peter tried, and at the look he received for it he shrugged. "I mean, I know that he and Cap got into it over something having to do with his parents' death and Sam said Bucky had moved into the spare bedroom in the apartment that he went back to so…. Am I right?"

"Yes," she admitted softly, the car hitting the slight bump that signalled the end of the bridge.

"But Captain Rogers said he's not brainwashed anymore, so he wouldn't hurt him, right?"

"It's really just to give Tony some peace of mind."

"He wouldn't want you there if he thought it was going to get dangerous."

"Probably not, but I doubt it will."

Okay. So Mr Stark wasn't sending his wife to babysit him. Good. That was good. Peter pursed his lips, struggling to find the right way to ask without it coming across as rude. "So, uh… why are you going?"

"For my peace of mind," his mentor's wife answered tightly, and that focused look she wore left him fairly certain that he shouldn't push any further on it.

He didn't know a lot about Howard Stark. He and Tony had had a strained relationship when the older man had been alive, but Tony seemed to care about him even if it was complicated. There was a painting in the lobby of the Stark Industries building they were just coming from and apparently he'd been the one to start the company from scratch right around World War Two. He'd known Captain Rogers and had been killed by a brainwashed Bucky Barnes. That was it. All the knowledge the teen had on his mentor's father, but that was still more than the man himself would have, from what he heard. Cap had pulled in from the 1940's.

"So, uh…. did you ever meet him?"

"He was gone by the time Tony and I met," Pepper said as she pulled the car over and allowed it to parallel park for her.

Peter stepped out and looked up at the building. "This place must cost Captain Rogers a fortune."

"Not too much. His landlord has a soft spot for him, no matter how angry they get at each other," Pepper said, amusement lining her voice.

"Mr Stark owns the building?"

"Don't tell Steve. Tony'd never forgive us."

Peter flashed her a grin and followed her up. She seemed to know just where to go, but if he were honest he couldn't recall a time when Pepper Potts had been anything but prepared. They stopped at the door and she squared her shoulders back, pulling in a deep breath. She didn't knock though.

"Are you nervous?" he asked quietly and she turned to look at him, her expression softening a little.

"No, more worried."

"About what?"

"Tony," she answered and tapped her knuckles against the door without further explanation.

There was a beat. Then another. Finally Peter heard the sound of locks being undone and a woman he didn't recognize opened the door. "Yes?" she greeted them in a British accent.

"You must be Peggy Carter. I'm Pepper. Tony's wife."

The woman looked her up and down as if she weren't immediately ready to believe her. Finally her expression softened a bit. "Steve mentioned the boy."

"I'm Peter. And, uh, I'm fifteen."

Those soft brown eyes came to rest on him. "Are you now? I'd have wagered younger."

The teen gaped as Peggy Carter stepped aside. "Won't you come in?"

Peter scurried after Pepper, feeling more than a little intimidated by the woman that stood only a couple of inches shorter than Pepper, both taller than him in their heels.

"I wanted to drop by. See how things were going," Pepper offered, her voice pleasant.

"Sergeant Barnes isn't here," Ms Carter said stiffly. "Steve hasn't told the full story yet, but I got the distinction impression your husband isn't fond of him."

"The disagreement over him landed Tony with several cracked ribs and a fractured arm. Not to mention a rift between him and a good friend that had only just started to heal when he went away."

Peter blinked hard. Pepper's voice was ice cold, almost dangerous. Maybe there was more to the whole fallout than he knew. Probably. He hadn't known that Cap - or maybe Bucky? - had hurt Tony during the fight. Maybe it was after he'd been delivered back to Queens. It wasn't like Mr Stark had given him a followup on everything that happened.

"A valid reason then," Ms Carter acknowledged and Pepper backed down ever so slightly.

"Howard Stark…"

"Tinkering with something in the back room over there. There's no pulling him away when he's fixated. He'll come out eventually."

"Like father, like son."

A small smile tilted the British woman's lips. "From the brief few moments in which I met him, I'd say so."

Pepper's gaze swept the apartment. "I know Sam and Bucky were staying here…"

"It's been a full house," the other woman acknowledged. "I had my share of tents and close quarters in the war, as everyone in this flat has. I suppose if they're successful, though, we'll be down an occupant."

The sound of a door opening drew their attention and a dark haired man sauntered out. He looked a lot like Mr Stark, but somehow less like his older self that Peter had seen by way of photos and the painting. That man was stiff and stern, while this one bounced a little when he walked, a curious look at everything his gaze touched. His smile broadened when he caught sight of Pepper. "Well hello."

"Howard, this is Tony's wife," Ms Carter said pointedly.

The smile didn't falter, even if it turned a little sheepish. "Ah. My future-present daughter-in-law. Pleased to meet ya. Howard Stark, but I'm sure you know that."

"I do," Pepper said, reaching out to take his offered hand.

Instead of shaking it, he pulled it to his lips. "My son has great taste."

Pepper looked like she was trying to talk herself out of popping him upside the head. "Howard — If I may?"

"I insist."

" — this is Peter. Tony's been mentoring him."

"Are you as clever as my boy?" Howard Stark asked, and Peter couldn't help but think he looked genuinely proud at the statement, absurd as it was that a man that he was certain couldn't have been as old as Mr Stark - and from everything he was hearing had come from a time long before he'd been born - was owning any sort of influence over the man Mr Stark had become.

"No sir, but I'm learning a lot from him." There, that seemed like a safe answer.

And apparently one that Howard like. He cuffed Peter in the arm. "Ha! Good kid." He turned back to Pepper. "So, you two here to make sure I don't go running off, because you don't have to worry about that. Peg's been keeping me on lockdown."

"We just wanted to stop by and see how things are going," Pepper answered diplomatically.

"Ah. Well, better if I could leave this tiny little place. Stuff five people into a two bedroom apartment. Who does that?"

"Plenty of people," Ms Carter answered sharply.

Pepper's cell phone rang and she offered a quick _excuse me_ as she stepped away. Those dark brown eyes that looked like carbon copies of Mr Stark's latched onto Peter. "So, kid, how'd you get wrapped into this? You seem a little young to be in the super hero biz. Even in our day you're s'pose to be eighteen to serve your country."

"Oh, I, uh…. intern for Mr Stark. I'm just learning from him."

"So no fancy costume for you, huh?"

"Well….." He swallowed hard, turning back to Ms Carter. "How are you liking New York?"

"I've actually been in New York for a while. It's the twenty-first century I'm getting used to."

"I busted her trip," Howard chuckled. He looked like he thought it was all a joke, while Ms Carter thought it was anything but that.

"So are you on your way back?" Pepper asked, cradling the phone to her ear. "I can…. oh. Should I let the lawyers know or not? Okay. I know nothing. Fly safe. I'll see you when you get here." She ended the call. "The boys are on their way home."

"How did it go?" Ms Carter asked.

"They didn't get what they wanted in the way that they wanted it, but Tony is nothing if not creative. It'll just take a little longer this way."

It didn't take Peter's Spidey Sense to catch the wave of disappointment wafting off Ms Carter, nor the pure excitement radiating from Howard Stark. Pepper didn't seem to miss the former either. "You know, it's awfully crowded here, and we have a spare room at our place. It's a couple hours out of the city, but I know it'd help Tony not to worry if he knew Howard was safe and —"

"We couldn't impose," Ms Carter said quickly.

"You think he'd be alright with me coming out to your place?" Howard asked, his tone more hesitant than Peter would have thought he had in him.

"I think it might be the best solution we have with the hand we've been dealt," Pepper answered. "What do you say?"

"Sounds perfect."

"_Howard_," Ms Carter warned softly.

"Peg," he said, his voice so quiet that only Peter's advance hearing picked it up, "please. Give me a chance to make this right before I gotta go?"

She shot him a conflicted look, but finally caved. "It would open up some space here."

"Then it's settled," Pepper said firmly. "Howard will come home with us."

* * *

Tony had known something was wrong - or at the very least not going the way he would have liked it to - the moment that Pepper met them on the tarmac, and it hadn't taken her long to let him in on what that was. He listened, holding his tongue and his potentially hasty feelings of betrayal as in check as he was capable, as she walked him through her thought process. Barnes was living at that apartment. That was his home, and they were overcrowded as it was. Taking Howard outside the city would limit his exposure and keep Tony from hiking in and out until this was resolved. He could work from home - less likely to alert Pym to what he was doing - and they could keep an eye on Howard. She knew it wasn't ideal. This whole fiasco was anything but ideal. From where she stood it did appear to be the -

"Okay."

Those beautiful blue eyes turned on him. "I thought you'd fight this harder."

"I don't have to like it for it to make sense. We should probably get straight what we're telling Morgan though."

"She'll be sound asleep by the time we get home."

"Right." He was exhausted, the day weighing on him. Well, at least he got to go home to his own bed. That was something.

Pepper reached up, her fingers against his cheek. "You're not facing this alone, you know that, right?"

A small smile tugged at his lips and he leaned in, feeling her meet him halfway. "I know."

She nodded, offering him a smile of her own and he wrapped an arm around the small of her back to walk with her. "Hey, Cap? You need a lift?"

"Wrong way, isn't it?" Steve asked. "Hi, Pepper."

"We're taking Howard with us. So says the missus."

Pepper rolled her eyes at the teasing tone and popped him lightly on the shoulder. "We thought we'd open up some space at your place."

Steve caught Tony's gaze as if he were searching for some indication that this was alright. Tony shrugged. "When have you ever seen me do something I wasn't willing to do?"

"Fair," Steve chuckled. "I'll take that ride as long as Pepper drives."

"What are you trying to say, Rogers?" Tony groused as they started for the car.

"I'm trying to say that I've faced the worst of the worst and your driving terrifies me more."

Pepper snorted a laugh as she released her hold on him to aim for the driver's seat. Tony shot her a look of pure indignation. "Traitor."

"I can't help it if Steve's right."

He gave them both a melodramatic groan as he circled around to the passenger's seat, pausing as Steve pulled open the door behind him. "Hey." He waited for the older man to look over. "Good to have you back…. even if you brought the chaos with you."

"That's not going away anytime soon, is it?"

"Nope," Tony answered cheerfully and hopped in the car. The trip hadn't gone as planned, but nothing had that day. They'd take Howard home with them and regroup in the morning. The sooner he could get what he needed from his decryption programs, the sooner he and the kid could start synthesising what they needed to send Howard home. He just had to be patient and this would all be over soon.

* * *

TBC

**Notes**: I feel like these chapters are getting longer... Originally I was planning to keep them around 2K or so to write quickly. This one is over 4K. Ah well. The chapter wants what it wants. Who wants to start placing bets on if Hank is going to figure out that Tony's in his systems? :P

**Next Time**: Howard tries to gather some information while Tony struggles to focus on the task at hand.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Howard had been chatty the whole drive out to the cabin. Tony was relatively sure that he nodded off at least twice towards the end of it, the day finally getting to him, and it was a good thing that Pepper hadn't even given him the option one way or the other on who was driving. She led the discussion, telling him just enough about Morgan that the three of them could come to a consensus on how to approach what could be a delicate subject. The less she knew the better. It wasn't like she would recognize him from photos. Probably. They hoped.

Happy stepped out onto the porch as they pulled in, the stress plastered across his face, and Tony didn't even have a chance to unfold out of the passenger's seat before he was hovering over him. He looked at him like he'd totally lost his mind. "Is he—?"

Happy's gaze snapped back as Howard opened the door behind Tony. "Yep."

"And you just brought him here?" Happy demanded, his voice hushed, but not nearly enough that Howard couldn't hear him.

"Yep. Morgan asleep?" He glanced up to the window and just barely saw the curtain hastily thrown closed by a little girl trying to pretend she wasn't out of bed.

"I told her you'd come in and tell her goodnight when you guys got back."

"Thanks." A quick look towards Pep was all the communication she needed to understand that he needed a moment to breathe.

Howard stepped towards him, mouth open and ready to speak, but Tony started walking and Pepper cut him.

"It's late. Howard, why don't I get you settled into the guest room? Happy, are you staying the night…?"

Tony didn't hear the answer as he shut the front door behind him, the quiet of home washing over him. He didn't dare linger long enough for Howard to catch up. Instead he made his way up the stairs as quietly as he could and to Morgan's room.

She'd managed to hop back in bed, snuggled under the blankets like she'd been sleeping for a while. The little girl had a death grip on her Hulk plushie she'd begged for a few months back and had shown off proudly to Bruce every chance she could get. Asleep or not, there was something deeply comforting about getting to come home and see her.

And that she wanted to see him too.

Tony couldn't recall even once wanting to wait up for Howard to come home as a kid, and absence hadn't done anything to make his heart grow fonder when he'd gone off to Phillips Academy at seven. All he remembered was that even five minutes with his father could send him crying to go back.

He'd done his best with Morgan though. Not perfect. Heaven knew he wasn't perfect, but she knew she was loved above anything else, and he felt that love returned unconditionally. For the first time since he'd heard Howard's voice in Steve's apartment that morning and all of the chaos had come crashing down around him, he felt a little peace settle back into his soul. Before he knew it he was bent over his sleeping daughter to press a kiss to her dark hair.

Morgan stirred, blinking as she made a show of 'waking up.' A grin tugged into place. "Happy said you'd say good night."

"Yeah? And you didn't believe him so you watched at the window?"

"No!" she giggled, yawning dramatically. "I was sleeping!"

Tony's lips tilted upward. "Fibber," he teased and she squealed loudly as he tickled her. He pulled back, looking towards the hall and motioning for her to be quiet. "Hey now. You're gonna get both of us in trouble."

"You are."

"Yeah, probably. You good? All in?"

"Uh-huh." She nestled down as he pulled the covers back up around her. "Daddy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Who's the person with you?"

"Person?"

"With you and Mommy. He came with you."

Tony pulled in a breath, tired mind working to find a good explanation that would keep her for that night. "He's a ... friend I'm helping get home. He's going to stay a couple of days."

"What's his name?"

"Howard."

"Like grandpa?"

It was amazing what she retained. He wasn't sure he knew his grandparents' first names at five. "Yeah. Same name."

"Oh." She sounded genuinely sleepy now. "You'll help him, Daddy."

"Yep." He kissed her again. "Love you three thousand."

He heard her mumble a response and took that as his cue to slip back out. He paused at the door, watching the sleeping little girl for a long moment. They were lucky. So lucky. He knew he that he couldn't face this - or anything he'd faced in the past year - without them.

* * *

Howard was settled into the guest room that Happy typically took when he stayed, but Pepper didn't have the energy to argue with their head of security that they didn't know how long Howard would be with them and that it was easier to give him a room with a bathroom connected rather than have him wandering their home at all hours on the search for it. The fact that his room had been lent out to their longer-term guest wasn't his issue. It was that it had been lent out to Howard Stark. Happy wasn't making a lot of an effort at keeping his total disdain for the man under his hat, and it was making even Pepper second guess the decision.

The conversation had finally come to a close when Pepper had tasked him with keeping an ear open to make sure Howard didn't leave the house or anything like that. Not that FRIDAY wouldn't alert them if she and Tony were both still asleep, but it gave Happy a sense of purpose. A way to help Tony through this in his own way.

Pepper found her husband halfway to tugging his t-shirt over his head, the movements stiff and she caught sight of the scars that hadn't faded, even as he healed. They still ran all the way from his fingers up his arm and split to snake up his neck and down his ribs. They weren't the only ones, just the most pronounced. His growing collection included the small circular scar a bullet that had slipped through his first suit during his escape in Afghanistan had left, littered marks along his chest from the shrapnel, and two identical scars on either side of his ribs in from where Thanos had stabbed him with his own suit's weapon. The years had left marks all over the man she loved.

He turned, free of the shirt, and the ARC reactor glowed softly against the dimmed lights. "Hey," he greeted, his voice tired.

"Hey."

"Sorry to leave you with all that."

"It's okay. Really." She stepped forward and her fingers found his hand. She tugged the t-shirt out of his other hand and dropped it so that she could free that one up as well. He didn't seem to mind as she pulled him closer, and he met her there in the kiss. She loosed her grip on one hand to let it travel up, fingers brushing bare skin, across his collar bone before they wrapped around the back of his neck to pull him just a little deeper into the kiss.

Tony's grip on her tightened and all of a sudden they were falling back onto their bed, Tony leaned over her and never breaking the kiss or letting go of her hand. When they did finally part for air she found herself staring into those soft brown eyes, all love and adoration focused in on her. There was something else under it, though, and she knew what it was. "I'm sorry."

His dark brows drew together. "For what?"

"You told me you didn't know how you felt about it and I pushed to have him come here."

He sighed, tilting off to the side and gently rolling her with him so that she found herself leaned against his chest. "It made sense. Shit situation, but you did what you do and made the right call."

"Was it though?"

"Not easy… but yeah. Probably right."

Her lips twitched down and she smoothed back grey-flecked hair. "Talk to me?"

"I don't know what to say, Pep," he acknowledged softly. "I thought I was in a good place and then he popped up and it all came crashing back down again." He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch and she saw the telltale signs of him working through his thoughts so that they'd make sense outside of his own head. "I don't know that man downstairs at all. He was so excited to meet the engineer that designed the stabiliser. My dad was _never_ impressed with anything I did."

Pepper pursed her lips together, swallowing the initial reaction to argue that. She didn't know. Howard and Maria had been long gone when she came on the scene, and she couldn't judge Howard's reactions by Tony's, no matter how similar the two men seemed to be.

"He should have been. I was ahead of everybody, outdoing some of his own engineers by the time I was at MIT. I was fifteen when I designed Dum-E."

"I know," she acknowledged softly.

"Got an award and everything. Dad's response? Make sure to clean up the lab before the reporters got there. He was more worried about how Stark Industries would look in the paper than the fact that they were there because of what I'd created. He didn't care, wasn't impressed, but this guy… he is. He jumped at the chance to meet me, tell me how much he loved the design. Hell, he acts like he wants to get to know me."

"Then why not let him? Just a little? He already knows who you are."

"I don't know. I mean, to an extent I'm just gonna have to accept that he'll know things. No stopping that now. Thanks, Cap." The smallest of smiles touched his lips, but it was a relief to see it in his eyes too. "I'm never going to get tired of the fact that this is on him. If it has to happen, at least it wasn't me."

Pepper snorted a laugh and leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek. "So why not talk to him a little?"

That killed his amusement, even if that hadn't been the intention. Tony squeezed his eyes closed. "It's… I've lived it. I've been through _all_ of it. I get that he tried. I get that he…. that he thought he was setting me up to be better than him, I guess."

"You _are_ better than him."

"But the man in our guest room doesn't know any of that. It's a blank slate for him and he seems to think…"

Tony was suffering and Howard wasn't. Even if he couldn't say it, he was. She heard it. It sounded silly and childish until you remembered that even if he were to use the whole experience and pretend it was one big BARF simulation, it wouldn't fix anything. This wasn't the man he'd known. Not yet.

"So don't treat him like Howard Stark," she said softly. "He's not yet. Not the one you knew. He's just someone that needs your help."

He looked up at her, conflict written into every line of his face. "Not sure there's a switch to flip."

"I know, but it would give you a direction to aim in."

"Yeah…." He sighed. "Hey, you wanna aim for a shower?"

"That an invitation?" she teased softly.

"Always, Potts."

Pepper flashed him a smile, leaning down for another kiss. She felt his hold start to tighten around her again and she pulled up, standing. He seemed to catch on quickly that he was expected to follow and he was off the bed in an instant, a trail of clothes left behind them all the way to the bathroom.

* * *

He woke in a strange bed in a strange house long before the sun seemed to be working it's way up in the sky. Howard lay there for a long moment, evaluating. The bed was empty beside him. Okay. He was relatively sure he was sober too. He'd know more when he sat up and tried to stand. Might wake up more too. Right that seemed like a good approach. He needed more data.

Slowly memories started sifting through the fog of sleep as he sat up in the large, comfortable bed. He'd hitched a ride to the future. Right. And met his future son. Tony. _That_ had been a surprise. A good one, mostly, even if Tony's standoffish reaction left Howard wondering what he would eventually do wrong to destroy the relationship.

The room was dark, and even pulling the curtains didn't help a lot. He climbed out of bed, bare feet against the wood floor, and inched his way around the perimeter looking for a lamp. Or a light switch. Anything.

"_May I help you find something, Mr Stark?_"

Howard jumped a little at the Irish lilt, then grinned. Tony's AI system. Of course. She was more fantastic than he could have imagined. "FRIDAY, right?"

"_Yessir_."

"Ha. I'll be damned. I know there were lights when I came in last night."

"_Of course. Would you like me to gradually bring them on so that your eyes can adjust?_"

"Might as well." A soft laugh escaped him as the computer system slowly brought the lights up. He'd been working on a process to access lights from a panel at the door - a side project that he'd mentioned offhandedly to Jarvis one day and hadn't heard the end of it since then - but nothing like this. This was fun. "Any chance I could get a look at your mainframe?"

"_I'm a remote program housed elsewhere, but you do not have permission to access that_."

Okay. Tony had taken precautions. Maybe that's what he'd been doing on the tiny device that he'd said was a phone on the trip out the night before. "So what can I access?"

"You may access the majority of the house. You are currently locked out of any modes of transportation, any computers on premise, and the boss' garage if closed."

"So he doesn't want me snooping?" Howard chucked. "Where is your boss this morning, huh?" Probably asleep. He'd looked exhausted the night before. If so, maybe he'd be able to look over something. Heaven knew this house had more to offer for the current century than Cap's had. Curiosity was his natural state. Nothing wrong with that.

"_He's in his garage._"

"And I'm gonna guess it's closed, isn't it?"

"_No_."

Interesting. He wondered if that meant it wasn't locked or if he was in there already. Only one way to find out.

Howard changed into the clothes that had been left for him - at least these fit a bit better, even if the styles were all a bit more snug than he was used to - and made his way quietly out of the room. The rest of the house was as dark and quiet as his own room had been and, thankfully, FRIDAY didn't announce his departure as he slipped past a partially closed door and out the front one.

The early summer morning air hit him and he let his gaze drift over the lake, the toys left out on the front lawn, and finally settle on a structure that must have been the workspace that the AI had described as Tony's garage. The door was open, light pouring out. His feet took him towards it, and as he drew closer he could hear music of some sort or another and the sound of a hammer against metal in a steady _clink clink clink_.

"_Boss, Mr Stark_," FRIDAY's voice cut through the music, lowering it just long enough to be heard.

Tony looked up, irritated. "What have I told you about turning down my music?" He didn't give the AI a chance to respond as he glanced over. "Morning."

"Morning," Howard echoed, his mind spinning to try to gauge the other man's reaction. He'd been so distant it had been borderline hostile the night before. He wasn't sure if the greeting had been friendly in and of itself or just by comparison.

"There's still some coffee in the pot over there if you want some." He motioned vaguely to his right, ducking back to his work.

Well, that sounded promising at least. Maybe Howard had just imagined the severity of Tony's reaction towards him. "Coffee'd be perfect. Whatcha working on?"

"Just tinkering. It's better than keeping Pep up when I can't sleep."

Howard slipped around a table and spotted the coffee set back a few feet, a few mugs set up on a shelf nailed to the wall. "Did you get what you needed from the guy in California?"

"Still working on that. My guess is later today. FRIDAY's in stealth mode to get it, so she's picking through the security quietly. Best case scenario we get it and Pym never finds out."

"I'd love to see the formula for-"

"Oh no. I'm not proving him right. He can keep his formula for all I care. I just need it to get you home."

Howard turned to argue and bumped into what he had thought was a fixed machine. The touch seemed to startle it awake and it gave a loud whirl, the claw opening and closing almost like it was taking readings from him. Maybe it was.

"That's Dum-E. Don't let him break another one of my mugs."

"Dummy?"

He thought he saw a small smile tilt Tony's lips. "He's that too. Bu hyphen E."

Dum-E gave another loud whirl, but this time the claw bumped into him. Hard. "Hey!" Howard snapped, but the machine swiped at him again.

Tony was on his feet now as the whirling continued. "Hey, easy," he coaxed.

It was angry. The machine - robot - was angry. "What'd I do?"

"He, uh…" Tony glanced at Dum-E, his thought trailing off and his brows pulling together. After a moment he reached out and patted the metal. "You remember that, huh?"

"Remember what?"

Whatever Tony had meant, he waved it off. "Nothing. He's, uh, a little territorial first thing in the morning." He gave the robot's arm another pat. "It's okay, bud. Let him get some coffee?"

The whirl he gave was reluctant, but he wheeled back and out of the way. Howard watched him curiously. "You built that?"

"Yeah. When I was fifteen."

"Damn impressive. I was scrounging for parts at fifteen. Everywhere I could find anything useful." He poured a cup of coffee. "My old man said it was a waste of time. Ha. Shows how much he knew. My guess is he'd be a lot happier seeing what his grandson put together than his own kid."

"Yeah," Tony answered reluctantly and turned to refill his own cup. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to jump back into whatever he'd been working on before, but he paused, and finally leaned back on the table. "I never met him."

"Yeah, well, you didn't miss much," Howard chuckled thinly and let his gaze travel over the man that he must have raised. He looked like him. From physical characteristics even to a few mannerisms here and there. "What's that?" he asked after a long moment, motioning to the soft blue glow from under Tony's dark shirt.

He looked down and gave it a quick tap with his free hand, the motion producing a small sound. "It's a mini ARC reactor. Self sustaining power source."

"What's it running?"

"My heart."

That startled Howard. "And you created that too?"

"You did, actually. I just made it work for what I needed."

"And it keeps your heart going?"

"Essentially." He downed the rest of his coffee. "FRIDAY, what time is it?"

"_It is now 4:32 AM_."

"Yeah they won't be up for another few hours…." Tony glanced around as if he were trying to find something he deemed safe to keep Howard busy. He perked suddenly. "C'mere. Friday, put the pot on in the back."

"_Right away, Boss_."

Dum-E whirled at them as Howard followed Tony through the relatively well organized garage. He thought they'd reached the back when Tony presses his hand against a pad on the wall and another door swished open to reveal a whole new room. In it was a collection of what looked like…. metal men. More robots, maybe? Some were displayed while others were in various states of repair. Red and gold, there was something about them. Steve had said his friend Tony was an Avenger. A superhero. He'd said that he'd saved the world more than once. He wondered if Tony just built them or if… Funny, one of them looked like it could be worn. Maybe it was a new type of aircraft. Now that was an interesting thought.

A sharp whistle drew his attention and Tony motioned to a set of gorgeous cars on the other side. He was pretty sure he liked the future.

"I have one that I got in a couple weeks ago from a dealer I know in Jersey of all places."

"'23 T-Bucket," Howard said as he made his way over. "This thing's a hundred years old now."

"Yes it is."

"You put them back together?"

"Sometimes. When I can't sleep. Keeps me from filling the whole garage with suits." He motioned to the ones that Howard had been looking at. So he did wear them. "What'dya say?"

Howard broke out into a grin. "I say if you're trying to distract me from everything in the front of the garage, you may have managed. For now."

Tony snorted, the sound amused as he set a box of tools on a work table. "FRIDAY, mix up AC/DC."

The question of what that meant died in his throat as what Howard could only assume was music filled the room and they started working. If Tony was upset or just overly cautious, he wasn't quite sure yet, but he'd have at least a little time to find out, and if he had done something along the way to hurt him… maybe he could fix. He'd always been good at fixing things when he put his mind to it.

* * *

TBC

**Notes**: Look at my boys avoiding talking by fixing stuff while draining the coffee pot in the wee hours of the morning. You'd think they were Starks or something. :P

**Next Time**: Peter gets a visit from Nick Fury, Pepper and Peggy take a trip out on the town, and the boys try to figure things out.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The music that had been blaring since they had started in on the car shut off abruptly, causing both Stark men to pop up from either end of the roadster. "FRIDAY, what did I-?" Tony started, but swallowed the rest of the gripe. "Hey there, little miss. What are you doing up?"

Howard looked over to see a little girl waiting there. She was four, maybe five. Her dark hair and big brown eyes a dead giveaway even if she hadn't been standing barefoot in what the displaced man could only assume were some sort of pajamas. Red and gold, just like Tony's armored suits.

"I'm hungry."

"Yeah? Whatcha gonna make for breakfast?" Tony asked, his voice teasing as he grabbed for a towel to wipe some of the grease off his hands.

The little girl giggled and moved further into the garage. "You are!"

"Me? You sure?"

"Yeah. Mommy said you would."

"Uh-huh. Bet she did." He leaned down and scooped her up, balancing her against his side. "Why don't you ever make breakfast, huh?"

The little girl's eyes darted over her father's shoulder and Howard found himself at the center of her attention. "Is that your friend you're gonna help?" she asked.

Tony glanced around, almost like he'd forgotten that Howard was there at all. "Yeah. That's Howard."

"Hi, Howard. Are you gonna eat breakfast with us?"

"Only if you'll let me," he answered with a small smile, doing his best to keep the light tone Tony had used with her.

Her eyes narrowed like she was giving it a lot of thought, and for a long moment he wondered if she might tell him no. Finally she gave a shrug of her small shoulders. "Okay." And that was that. She squirmed down, her father releasing her, and took off out the door.

Howard stared after her. "Uh…nice kid."

"The best," Tony answered. "Her name's Morgan."

"I knew that. I remembered that."

Tony snorted, but Morgan's reappearance at the door stopped any comment that he had geared up. She stomped her bare food. "Come _on_!"

"Waiting on you now," her father popped back as he strode right passed her and Morgan chased after him, giggling and grabbing for his hand.

Howard stood slowly, wiping his own hands and following. If he didn't, he thought there was a better than even chance he'd miss out on breakfast all together, and his numbers were usually right. Tony's focus was on Morgan and then on Pepper as he entered the house, kissing his wife and chattering happily with his family. Howard found himself completely forgotten in the movements that seemed entirely familiar to the others involved in them. All but the man that had met them at the house the night before. He couldn't seem to get away from his glare.

Finally, Tony turned towards him. "Omelet?"

"Sounds good," Howard managed, wondering if he'd be able to squirm out of that death glare anytime soon. If he was going to do something in the future to set Tony against him, apparently his would-be son had others on his side too.

Howard took a seat at the breakfast table and tried for a smile. "So… Hogan, right?"

The question was met with narrowed eyes and suspicion and he decided that if he wanted to survive until breakfast, he might be best to keep his mouth shut.

* * *

"You seemed surprised that Tony was willing to give Howard a place to stay until this is sorted out."

Steve glanced over to the passenger seat of the truck to find a pair of clever brown eyes focused on him. She wasn't asking if there was a problem, but what the problem was. He pulled in a breath, looking back to the stretch of road. "They had a… complicated relationship when this timeline's Howard was alive. From what I understand."

"Howard is under the impression that Tony hates him."

"Hate is a strong word."

"But is it an inaccurate one?"

Steve's jaw tightened as he searched for the best way to describe it, but he wasn't sure he knew what that was. He knew it was complicated and that Howard had spoken to his son about him over the years which had left Tony bitter long before they'd even met. It was complicated, but every last detail that went into that he couldn't recount. There were often three sides to as story: one person's, the other's, and the truth in the middle. He just didn't know what that was.

"I don't think so," he said carefully. "At least, I don't think Tony wants to hate him."

"What happened?"

He took a turn towards the lake just up ahead. "Life. Differences. The man Tony describes as Howard is a lot harder than the man we know."

When Peggy didn't respond he glanced over again, seeing the conflicted look etched into her features. "He thinks he needs to fix something."

"Yeah, we need to send him back. Tony's —"

"I mean Howard. He thinks he needs to fix something with Tony. It's…. Well he's always been that way, but even more since you went into the ice. Somehow he convinced himself it was his fault that he couldn't find you, so much that…. It doesn't matter. What matters is you know him. You know how he can get."

"Not finding me wasn't his fault, Peggy."

"I know that and you know that, but he's Howard. He's obsessive. Driven. Maybe even more than he used to be."

"He's a good man."

"I know he is. Frustrating, but his heart tends to be in the right place. That doesn't mean things pan out exactly how he intends though. Remember Poland?"

Steve frowned and the lake came into view and he swallowed his argument that was ringing hollow even before he voiced it. He remembered how stubborn Howard had been and how the young genius had nearly gotten himself killed because of it. "Yeah."

"Please watch after him. This could go very badly very quickly."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Steve promised as they pulled into the Starks' driveway and up to the cabin.

If FRIDAY had announced their presence or not, no one greeted them at the door, and even after he knocked they were left waiting for a long moment before a loud _come in!_ could be heard from the other side of the door. Steve and Peggy exchanged looks before starting in.

He'd only been to Tony's lakeside cabin a couple of times over the years and he hadn't actually made it inside. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but the simple, open layout wasn't it. While he was sure the home was set up so that the tech genius was fully comfortable in it, it wasn't nearly as flashy as the tower had been. There were no visible bots, only one work table, books lining the shelves…. It was strangely disconnected for Tony Stark.

"Hey, sorry," a voice traveled down the stairs, drawing their attention to Pepper Potts who was making her way towards them. A very unhappy Morgan sat at the top of the stairs, eyes rimmed red and lips in full pout. "Someone's been throwing a tantrum because her daddy needs space to work."

"Howard's in there," the little girl grumbled.

"Howard's working on the car," Pepper counted reasonably, but Morgan wasn't having it.

"My car."

"Is it now?" She turned an apologetic look towards Steve and Peggy. "FRIDAY cracked Hank's security. Which as the CEO of Stark Industries I know nothing about, of course, but Tony's been held up in there since breakfast."

"And he's letting Howard look at it?" Steve asked skeptically.

"Oh no. He gave him a car to tinker with to keep him distracted. Hence the meltdown up there." She motioned at the still-sniffling little girl. "Morgan, do you want to come see Uncle Steve and meet his friend?"

Morgan shook her head hard and then she was gone, up on her feet and out of sight upstairs faster than he might have given her credit for. Pepper sighed. "Sorry."

"I'm sure it's a lot to adjust to," Peggy offered.

"Or she's a five-year-old Stark that's been told no. She'll find a way to get what she wants. The second I'm not looking she'll be out that door with a step stool to reach the panel on the garage. If that doesn't work, she'll find something else."

"Sounds like a handful," Steve chuckled.

"You have no idea. And now there's three of them."

"Hey, you married into the family."

"Believe me, I knew what I was getting into by the time that I did," Pepper laughed. "FRIDAY should let you in if you want to go check to see where he's at in it."

"Or relieve him of Howard duty?"

"Just make sure Morgan doesn't slip in around you when you go in. He has trouble telling her no even if he needs to focus."

Steve looked back to Peggy. "Let me know if you need saving," she said, her voice a little teasing, and he broke out in a grin.

"Definitely."

He followed the short path out to what must have been Tony's garage and found a touch pad outside the closed door. He pressed his palm against it and FRIDAY welcomed him by name as she opened the doors for him. "_They're in the back_."

"Thanks," he mumbled, never really sure if he should say it out loud or not. He had always felt like he sort of knew JARVIS. He was that voice in all of their ears for the year they had tracked down rogue Hydra agents together. He was gone though. Absorbed into Vision and Vision killed for the Infinity Stone. FRIDAY was different. He didn't know her, and he found himself right back at square one like he'd been with JARVIS early on.

"I'm just saying that I could…. can you even hear me through that thing? Hello?"

Steve's brows drew together as he moved towards the loud tapping sound through a second set of doors and found Tony sitting at a desk, feet propped up and reading from actual monitors rather than his usual projections so that Howard couldn't easily see the information on them. Surrounding him was some sort of force field, barely visible except when Howard tapped against it, and Tony motioned that he couldn't hear him and turned immediately back to his work, utterly ignoring the fact that Howard was growing more and more agitated.

"He's not going to let you see that."

Howard spun, dark gaze snapping to Steve. "Everyone wants to send me back home, but it'd go a lot quicker with two minds working on it!" He slapped the palm of his hand against the force field, but as far as Steve could tell it didn't make a sound inside.

"I don't think he can hear you."

Howard snorted, sinking dramatically into a chair. Funny. At that very moment Steve could see every inch of his friend's granddaughter in him.

After a long moment Tony seemed to find a stopping place and clicked his screens off, powering down the field around his work area. "Hey, Cap, when'd you get here?" he asked chipperly, and Steve didn't think for a second that he hadn't known the moment he walked in. Likely FRIDAY had announced his presence inside the soundproof cube.

"Not long ago. I thought you were trying to keep your father alive?"

Tony took his time stretching before finally turning a lazy look on Howard who was glaring in his direction. "He'll live. You and Peggy weren't supposed to be in until this afternoon."

"It is afternoon, Tony."

"Yeah?" He tilted his wrist to look at his watch. "Hell. Okay then. Who wants lunch? We should probably eat lunch."

Howard's lips twitched downward. "So how far did you get? You crack it?"

Tony shot him a look. "It usually takes more than a five hour study-stint to crack how a guy that talks to ants regularly bypasses the square cube law of physics."

"He talks to ants?"

"That's what you took away from that?"

"To be fair, I've wrapped my mind around the fact that time travel will be possible and my son's gonna be the one to figure it out, so bypassing the square cube law of physics isn't exactly daunting."

"But talking to ants is?" Tony pressed, eyes narrowed and head tilted just a little to the side.

Steve cleared his throat, desperate to hide the chuckle that he just couldn't swallow. "Howard, we're not going to just throw you back into your time without warning. Don't worry."

The relief was short lived as he looked over to Tony who shrugged. "What? When it's ready, it's ready."

Steve caught Tony by the arm as he started to brush past him. "Hey. He was… really excited to meet you, even before he knew that you were going to be his son someday. Cut him some slack?"

"I have been," Tony grumbled, moving towards the door.

Blue eyes found brown staring at him and Howard looked torn. "It's like whiplash."

Tony Stark, in a nutshell. Steve sighed. "He's processing."

"What the hell did I do to him, Cap? Will I do? I can't -"

"No, you can't. You aren't the man that raised him. Not yet. You can't fix that, Howard."

"I'm not…. You talked to Peg didn't you?"

"You really think I wouldn't?"

Howard loosed a long breath. "Okay…. Okay. But you have to help me, Cap. I gotta know what I did wrong."

"Howard…"

"You've met him. That kid is _amazing_. Have you seen those suits of his?"

"A time or two."

"Yeah, well, he won't let me look up close, but from a distance they're impressive. He's smart. Maybe…. Well he's at least as smart as me. He figured out _time travel_, Cap."

"Tony's brilliant."

"That's gonna be my kid… and he hates me."

"He doesn't hate you."

Howard motioned after the man that had since left the garage.

"It's complicated."

"I'm not so dumb myself. Help me pick up the pieces and put them together. Whatever I did to him, I don't want to do to him."

"Howard…."

"Cap - Steve - _please_. My pop and I never saw eye to eye. He whipped the hell out of me when he caught me reading because it was a waste of time. I needed to learn _his_ trade. I needed to _be_ him. I lied my way into school. Ran outta there fast as I could and swore I'd never do that to my own kids if I ever had 'em." His look turned a little desperate. "I don't know what I'm gonna do to him, but I can't stop it if I don't find out."

Steve swallowed hard, glancing back towards the door Tony had disappeared out of. Both of his friends were hurting and it seemed like the way to stop it was to get them on the same page. That could alter Howard's new timeline more than it already would be though. "Let's get inside."

Howard's shoulders sagged at that, but he shuffled forward reluctantly. It broke Steve's heart, but he followed behind him. Maybe he could find a way to bring the two men to a place of understanding without shattering the timeline any further than he already had.

He followed the Starks back into the house, finding a lunch that he hadn't necessarily been expecting already set out on the table. Pepper and Peggy seemed to have hit it off, already making plans to go into town together. Steve didn't mind staying, right? Morgan had felt left out of everything and they were going to take her into New York City to have a girls' evening. He smiled and said of course, because what else was he going to do? Really, he knew what he was stuck with. The same kind of no-win scenario that always came up with Tony. He would be left to play mediator between the generations, desperate to find a way to make both friends happy. They deserve that, didn't they? After everything?

The problem was that he didn't know how to make that happen.

* * *

Summer afternoons with nothing to do were rare and Peter did his best to enjoy them. Mr Stark was busy out at his cabin with Captain Rogers and his father - still so weird to say, but hey, when you'd been into space and had been snapped out of existence weird was relative - and the other Avengers were doing… something else. He wasn't sure what, but it left him with a free afternoon. He wasn't going to knock that. Not when there was a lego Millennium Falcon with his name in it.

He was meeting Ned back at his apartment, the new set just purchased from the Manhattan store, when he felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. His Spidey Sense caused him to freeze for half a second and a hand grab his shoulder from the crowd, redirecting him.

Peter started to squirm, his first instinct to put distance between him and his attacker, but the person leaned down and he heard a feminine voice in his ear. "I'm with SHIELD."

The teen swallowed hard. "Yeah, and how do I know you're not lying?"

"Director Fury would like a word," she said, ignoring the question.

Peter finally managed to catch a glimpse of the dark haired woman, but she nodded forward to a black SUV that shouldn't have been parked where it was, but no one seemed willing to bother the owner. The shaded window rolled down, revealing a face that he'd only seen in files at Stark Industries. It was impossible not to recognize Nick Fury.

"Mr Parker," he greeted as Peter was ushered forward. "We need to have a talk."

* * *

TBC

**Notes**: I wasn't exactly sure how this chapter would fall out: one VERY long one or two shorter ones. Still not sure next chapter will be all that short, so I thought it was better to split them.

You guys have been blowing me away with the reviews. Thank you so much and I hope you know you make my day with each one XD

**Next Time**: Pepper and Peggy take Morgan into town to give the boys a chance to sort a few things out. It does not go as hoped.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

The moment that Pepper had taken Morgan and Peggy into town Tony had slipped back to his workshop. With Cap there he didn't have to worry about keeping Howard where he could see him and could fully focus on the task at hand. He wanted a good handle on what they were looking at before dragging the kid into it. The deeper he got into the formula, though, the more he was convinced he needed someone more geared towards chemistry to help get this done quickly. Peter was a good choice. Possibly the best choice. Heaven knew the teen was always eager to help.

With a quiet place to work and no distractions to speak of, Tony didn't surface from his research until hours later. He checked his messages to find one from Pep with a photo of Morgan covered in ice cream wearing that shit-eating grin that Pepper swore she inherited from him and a quick message saying they were having fun and not to wait up. He felt a smile tug at his own lips and rubbed at his eyes, checking the time. He'd been late on every meal that day. Why should dinner be any different?

He was met by the sound of laughter and the smell of food as he stepped into the house. Dark brows drew together as he followed it in to find Howard perched on the kitchen table, feet on the stool in front of him and a beer in his hand, and Cap mid-sentence about something that had to do with a man named Phillips. Behind him on the counter was the evidence that the super soldier had raided Tony's kitchen and there was something in the oven. "Whatcha doin'?" the younger man drawled, effectively redirecting both of their attentions on him.

"Hey, you were so caught up in the Pym Particles that I threw something together. Hope you don't mind. The girls said they'd be late."

"Got the message," Tony answered slowly, his smile a little hesitant. It was weird. His dad and Steve hanging out at his place. It was weird.

Howard hopped from his perch and moved to the fridge like he was perfectly comfortable in the space. He pulled a third beer out and slid it across the table between them. "Cap makes a mean shepherds pie. Didn't Dugan eat a whole one once?"

"He did."

"Damn that man could eat," Howard chuckled. "And drink. He came out to my place in California once and I had to restock after he left."

Cap grinned at that. "I can picture it."

Howard turned, motioning to the beer Tony hadn't touched. "If you tell me these are Pepper's I'm gonna call you a liar. I can't picture that woman drinking beer."

Tony snorted a laugh at that one, finally taking the offered drink and he popped the top off. "In all the years I've known her I saw her drink one and I think that's why I haven't seen it since."

"Wine fan?"

"Martini."

"Classy," Howard said with a grin, and motioned between Tony and Steve. "So, I bet you guys have some good stories."

"Remember the part where we're limiting your knowledge of your future?" Steve pointed out and Howard snorted.

"Are you telling me there's a current-day me running around out there? Hell. I'd be over a hundred years old. C'mon. Something from after I bit the dust?"

Tony rounding the table to find a place to lean, his early morning starting to wear on him, and he shot Cap a look. The blond man shrugged. "There was about a year in there that we all lived and worked out of Stark Tower in New York City after Hydra…. showed back up on our radar."

"Those bastards just don't take the hint, do they?" Howard grumbled and Tony was halfway to making the comment when Steve shot him a glare and cut him off.

"It's been years. Drop it."

"It doesn't get old."

"It really does."

"What's that?" Howard asked and Tony flashed Cap a grin.

"Nothing. Just giving Cap hell."

"Some things never change," Steve murmured, but his tone bordered on affectionate. "What about one of the stories from when you flew us over occupied Europe? Tony said he hadn't heard about you with the Howling Commandos."

"I'll make a mental note to fix that failed choice," Howard promised.

"I heard some," Tony said and motioned at Cap. "Most of them were just centered around you."

"Probably because they bailed out at the jump points," Howard offered as Steve turned to grab the food. "Poland was the only one I was on the ground for."

Steve stiffened at that one and Tony tilted his head curiously. "Okay. Now I have to ask."

"Then I'm going to need something stiffer. Your liquor cabinet was locked though."

"We do have a five-year-old," Tony reminded him as he walked over to the cabinet and tapped the code in. He reached for a bottle of bourbon in the back. "So what's the story?"

"Howard crashed the plane. Only reason he was on the ground with us. Where are your plates?"

Tony pointed to the shelf as Howard shot Steve an offender look. "The blown engines from nazis shooting at us might have had something to do with it. I dare you to find another pilot on the planet that coulda made that landing."

"Maybe Tony," Steve offered. "He brought a quinjet down when I thought we'd finally had it once."

"Hey," Tony snapped, looking over at him. "You said you didn't question me for a second."

"Apparently my poker face is getting better. Who's hungry?"

Tony knew what Cap was doing, and as much as he knew he should probably fight it he couldn't seem to drum up the willpower. There was something nice about sitting around eating and having a drink or two with his father as a man he had come to consider a close friend, despite everything that had happened between them. He took a seat at the table and caught Howard's eye. "So how'd you bring it down?"

He didn't think he'd ever seen Howard look more excited than he did in that moment.

* * *

Peggy hadn't been sure exactly what she expected from her afternoon out with the Stark girls. Afternoon bled into evening, though, and she found herself enjoying every moment of it. Pepper was everything Peggy had thought she might be at first glance and more. Clever, poised, and confident in everything that she did. She was just as comfortable talking about her family and the way that they were raising Morgan as she was the approach she took as the head of Stark Industries. If Howard realized yet that his company was in his daughter-in-law's hands rather than his son's, she wasn't sure, but she was certain that they seemed to be very capable hands.

The town was full of little shops and places to duck into. The boys had scrounged some relatively decent clothes for her to wear in the past week, but Pepper helped her find something she was actually comfortable in. Vintage, she called it, but Peggy felt more comfortable in them than she had since she'd arrived.

Between fittings and different shops - including ice cream and a trip to Morgan's favourite toy store - she and Pepper swapped stories about expectations at their places of work. The ginger woman laughed thinly as she told a story about one of Stark Industry's oldest board members who had popped off to Tony when he'd appointed her CEO. There was some slight about her capabilities and a lewd insinuation about how she got the position. Tony'd had his say, Pepper told her. Tony always had his say, but Pepper had found her own moment to make it absolutely clear to the man exactly what she brought to the table. And then she'd proved it every minute since then.

"Different generation, same men," Peggy groused as they walked through the town square, Morgan running off the sugar rush from the ice cream just a few steps ahead of them.

"I hope we get a little stronger, a little wiser with each generation," Pepper said quietly, her gaze on her daughter. "We can only build off the women that have come before us."

"A lot's happened since my generation," Peggy confirmed. "Every inch was a battle in the SSR. Strangely enough, the battlefield felt more accepting than the aftermath."

"Next time she's on-planet, we need to introduce you to Carol. Before she was Captain Marvel she served in the Air Force. I think you'd like her."

"I'm sure I would."

"Mama, I'm hungry," Morgan said, twirling to a stop in front of them. "Can we have cheeseburgers?"

"What about pizza from that nice little place a couple of streets over."

"Okay, but don't make Aunt Peggy eat the gross stuff. I want to keep her."

Peggy felt a smile tug into place. "Do I get the seal of approval then?"

Morgan turned a look on her. "Yeah, I guess so."

Pepper held a finger up as she dug her phone from the pocket in her dress. That left a pair of bright brown eyes staring up at Peggy, all of that five-year-old Stark curiosity hyper-focused. Peggy offered her a smile. "So I'm Aunt Peggy, am I?"

"You're Uncle Steve's girlfriend, right? I think that makes you Aunt Peggy."

"Well, technically not, but I suppose we'll let the technicality slide if you want it to." She motioned over to the bench on the side of the street and took a seat. The little girl joined her enthusiastically. "Do your parents bring you here often?"

"Sometimes. People like to ask Daddy a lot of questions and he doesn't like it."

"What kind of questions?"

"How he got the stuff on his face," Morgan said, motioning to the right side of her own face. "Lots of other things too. Stuff he doesn't like to talk about."

"Your daddy saved a lot of people, didn't he?"

Morgan looked down to where she was swinging her feet. "I guess so."

"And he came home to you. Not everyone gets that. You must be a very special little girl that he fought so hard to get back to you."

"Yep," she answered and Peggy laughed at that.

"Modest too. You must get that from your grandfather."

"What's modest?"

"When we get back to your house, why don't you ask Howard that? Tell him your Aunty Peggy said to."

"Okay."

Pepper ended her call and started back towards them. "Sorry, Stark Industries has this massive expo coming up that I'd… completely forgotten about, which I was not actually aware I was capable of. I guess having your husband's father travel forward in time and crash with you will do that."

Peggy perked. "What kind of expo?"

"Oh, it's a thing that Tony likes to do. Howard started it, actually."

She thought that might have been it. Peggy smiled brightly. "The Stark Expo, isn't it? I never had the pleasure of going, but the boys told me all about it on one of our outings. Sergeant Barnes said something about a flying car?"

"Mama, Mama, can I have a suit for the expo?" Morgan demanded and Pepper gave her a tight smile like she'd been put on the spot.

"We'll see what Daddy can put together, huh?"

"Can I fly?"

"No."

"Can I shoot beams?"

"You can pretend to shoot beams?"

"Okay!"

Peppery was chuckling at that as she turned her attention back towards Peggy. "It's a big event where inventors all over the country show off. Honestly, the last time we did it it was Tony's ego gone wild. This time… I think it came from the right place. It's the only reason I didn't put my foot down." She motioned and Peggy stood so they could start walking again. "Things have changed a lot in the last few years. Half the universe's population was literally snapped out of existence, and then back in. The adjustment one way and then the other within just a few years has been hard. People need something good to focus on."

"I think it's a lovely idea," Peggy said. "I'd love to go."

The other woman flashed her a bright smile. "I think you should. And who knows, maybe tonight will be good and we can even bring Howard along if he's still here."

"I hope so. Howard is… many things. Certainly not all of them good, but he tries. I can't imagine a world where he'd do any less with Tony growing up."

"I wasn't there. All I know is what Tony's told me, and he…. Wants to believe that. I think he has trouble believing it sometimes, but he wants to."

Peggy made a small sound of acknowledgement. If anyone could bring the two men together, it was Steve. She had to hope things were going well back at the cabin.

* * *

Peter had thought that Fury might be driving him to some Manhattan SHIELD location, but they hadn't stop until they reached an airport. He had hesitated, but Fury hadn't cared. He didn't get a say as the SHIELD director had handed him a headset and ushered him onto a helicopter.

By the time it was all said and done the sun was sinking in the sky and they were landing a structure that had come up out of the ocean below them. Aunt May was going to kill him. Hell, Mr Stark was going to kill him. He'd warned him about Fury. Told him to turn around and walk away if the man ever approached him. He was pretty sure that this wasn't what his mentor had had in mind.

"Raft Prison," Fury explained through the headset and Peter's attention jerked back around towards him.

"Did I do something wrong?" the teen managed and the older man tilted his head, eye narrowed. He didn't look amused, exactly. Peter wasn't sure he really could get a read on him.

"I want to show you something."

They landed on the helipad below and Peter hesitantly jumped from their ride. Wind whipped around him, the waves crashed against the structure, and his senses were in overdrive. He jumped when Fury put a hand on his shoulder, guiding him.

"Uh… so what is it that you wanted to show me?" he managed as Fury leaned down, lifted his eyepatch, and a scanner took a reading of his blind eye.

He straightened and motioned for Peter to follow. "It's been almost a year since the Avengers managed to snap half of the universe's population back into existence."

"Yeah. I was one of them."

"So was I." He kept walking and Peter had to scurry to keep up. "So was Hill and plenty of others. Some not so great."

They approached another door at the end of the hall and he granted access. Inside was a room full of monitors, computers, and people. If Peter had to place a bet, he'd say they were probably SHIELD agents, even though this was _supposed_ to be a US government owned facility. From what he knew, anyway.

"This facility holds the worst of the worst. Maniacs."

"Isn't this where they put some of the Avengers when the Sakovia Accords were signed?"

"Yes it was. If it can hold Wanda Maximoff, it can hold most anybody." He paused, and Peter questioned if it was for dramatic effect. "_Most_ anybody."

"Director Fury, sir, I'm not sure why I'm here."

"When Banner used the gauntlet to snap everyone back, he didn't just snap the good guys home. The bad came with us." The monitors flickered without Fury even asking them to. A collection of names and faces, some captured, some at large appeared on the screens. "We've spent the last year rounding up who we could, but it's not enough. We need the Avengers."

Peter blinked hard. "Okay… I get that. That makes sense, but why am I the _only_ one here?"

"Stark is out of commission. If it's by his own choice or not doesn't really matter. He's made it very clear in the last year that he has no interest in coming back to the Avenger Initiative, and I suppose the man's served his time."

"Cap's back," Peter offered before really thinking it through. Oops. Maybe Fury didn't know about that. Shouldn't know about that. Shit shit shit….

"With friends. You think they hid that from us?" the spy asked with a shrug. "He's distracted. Romanoff is… gone. Barton refuses to come back. Thor has disappeared into space from what I hear, and Banner has settled into a life as far away from this as he can get. We need someone dependable. Stark thinks your dependable."

"Then why isn't he asking me?"

"He's not. He doesn't know you're here." Well that might have been one of the more honest things to come out of Fury's mouth. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is this -" he motioned at the monitors - "and what's out there. It's time for a new generation to step up. Are you ready?"

"I'm fifteen. Don't you want someone… I don't know? Older? That's been doing the whole superhero gig longer than I have?"

"You're the one Stark trusted when he needed someone. The one he was willing to risk time travel to bring back. You're special, son, and we need you."

Peter swallowed hard, looking back towards the monitors and all of the names of all of the bad guys that hadn't been caught, dangerous faces staring back at him.

* * *

Howard's grin split wide open as Tony nearly rocked off the stool laughing. "No," he chuckled. "No way."

"I swear I said it."

"And no one can counter it because everyone that was with him is now dead," Steve pointed out.

"Because I make the best kinds of friends," Howard countered. "The ones that come get you when nazi bastards take you hostage."

Steve chuckled at that, shaking his head and taking a long swig of his beer. The other two were feeling it by this point and he wished he could too. Then maybe he could shove back that guilty twinge that kept cropping back up in instigating this. To be fair, he hadn't kept refilling Tony's glass. That was all Howard. He seemed determined to help his son catch up to the happy state he was already living in. "I swear, you and I remember this story so differently."

"How so?" Tony pried.

"Howard seems to remember the funny parts, while I remember the fact that one of my closest friends nearly died."

"Oh, I did not nearly die," Howard groused.

"You were unconscious when we found you. Shot it the back. Did you forget that part?"

"Oh yeah," Howard chuckled tipsily. "That hurt like hell. I mean, you guys said it did, but still... "

"What happened?" Tony pressed again, his expression more concerned now.

Howard waved him off. "They told me to stay put and I didn't. It was fine. I had a clear path out, or would have except for that one kid. Couldn't have been more than eighteen. Maybe younger. I had him talked down until he decided to take the shot when I was halfway outta the door."

"I never knew you'd gotten shot."

Howard leaned forward from where he was sitting on top of the table, his fingers touching just above his hip on his back. "Yep. .38 slug. Revolver." His expression sobered a little. "That armor of yours… How well does it keep a round out?"

"These days it does. I mean, it's not impenetrable, but a bullet's not going to break through. The Mark I wasn't as well designed, but what are you gonna do in an Afghani cave?" Tony took another swig of his bourbon.

That caught Howard's attention. "Afghani cave?"

Tony coughed against his drink and set it down. "Yeah… That's, uh, how all this started."

"Okay, kid, your turn. Tell us a story."

Tony shot Howard a look before giving in. "About fifteen years ago - sixteen, I guess? - I was on a demo out in Afghanistan for a new missile I'd designed. Jerricho. It was the highlight of Stark Industries then and I wanted to show it off, so I went in person." He stopped, and Steve thought he was trying to work through the haze he must have been feeling by this point to make sure he didn't give anything too time-altering away. "I was taken by a group of terrorists and built my first suit to get out." He pulled the collar of his shirt back to show a small scar barely visible through the scarring the stones had left on him. This one looked like it could have been left by a fragment of a bullet. "Only so much you can do with scraps. One made it through. Granted, that was after one of my own missiles went off right in front of me and filled my chest with shrapnel." He tapped the ARC reactor. "That's how I got this at first."

Steve pursed his lips, struggling with if he should ask the questions battering around his mind right then. He'd never heard Tony speak anywhere close to openly about his time in Afghanistan and SHIELD's files were thin at best on it. What had happened in that cave was between him and the ghosts left behind and Steve would have been lying if he said he wasn't curious. Finally he gave. "When you got home?"

"Oh no. In the cave," Tony acknowledged and Steve felt his chest tighten.

Howard reached forward, even as Tony pulled back instinctively. "Let me see?"

Slowly, carefully, Tony undid the buttons of his shirt to show the ARC reactor. Howard leaned in to study it. "In a cave?" he demanded, and Steve thought he was having just as much trouble wrapping his mind around it. "Is this casing here? How deep does it go?"

"Deep enough."

"How the hell did you survive that?"

"I've been told I'm a stubborn bastard."

"No shit."

Tony chuckled roughly at that, his fingers moving over the smooth casing over the reactor. "I had it taken out a few years ago. The shrapnel removed and the casing filed down so that they could put a plate in place and graft some skin over it. Left a hell of a scar, but it was… a promise to Pepper. One I didn't make good on, really. With the exception of nearly dying to save the universe, I've done better at that."

It was Steve's turn to make a small sound of amusement. Leave it to Tony to make a statement like that. Whenever he needed to use something he'd done to make a point, he waved the feat around like a banner. If he were honest, though, if he was laying it out without his usual flair, he waved it off. He'd saved them all and he made a joke about it.

"You've got a good one there," Howard murmured.

"You've got one on the way."

Steve looked over and Tony's expression was distant.

_I don't care. He killed my mom._

The words rang out in his mind like he were voicing them right then and there. He'd never met Tony's mom. Never knew her, but he knew Howard, and a woman that was able to balance him out had to be on par with Pepper or maybe even stronger.

Howard gave a real, honest smile at Tony's statement. "Got a good kid on the way as far as I can tell too."

Tony snorted at that, leaning heavily against the table. He winced and Steve couldn't help but notice how he was clenching and unclenching his right hand like it was hurting him. "Wish you'd voiced that over the years," he said softly.

Oh no. No no no. This was exactly what Tony had wanted to avoid. This right here. It was what he was trusting Steve to stop.

The blond cleared his throat. "Tony, have you heard from Peggy and Pepper?"

Howard didn't seem to catch the drift. "What'dya mean?"

Tony looked up, his expression torn as he shook his head. "You don't know. You're not him."

"But I will be. If you tell me I can -"

"You can't _fix it_," Tony snapped. "You can't fix my screwed up childhood or the fact that I thought you hated me for _years_. You can't change that, Howard, and even if you could…. Maybe you shouldn't."

"Tony, I had a non-existent at best relationship with my old man. Why wouldn't I do everything I can to make yours and mine better?"

"Because I am who I am because you screwed up," Tony growled and Steve saw Howard physically flinch back at the words. "I was a screw up because of you and because I was a screw up, I ended up in Afghanistan. Because I was in Afghanistan, I became Iron Man. Because I became Iron Man, I saved the world. Not once, but twice. You take me out of the equation and Thanos _wins_. I fought too hard, I gave up too much to let that happen. I -" He stopped, the grimace pronounced now as he doubled over on the stool, and Steve leapt forward to steady him. "I'm _fine_," he snarled.

"You don't look fine," Steve murmured softly, not willing to be pushed away. He was worried Tony would tople if he did. The closer he got, the more worried he was. He was paling quickly, his right arm failing him and he was growing more agitated because of it. "Tony?"

"I haven't tested it," he gasped out.

"Tested what?"

"The Extremis mix with a lot of alcohol."

Steve sighed. That would have been good to know.

"Drop the judgement," the dark haired man snapped.

"I'm not… Tony, I'm worried about you. Do I need to get you to a hospital?"

"No, I'm fine. FRIDAY?"

"_Scans show your within safe parameters, Boss_."

"See?"

"_Barely_."

"Shut it, FRIDAY."

"Okay. Fine, but let's call it a night, huh? It's late. The girls will be home soon and you -"

"Yeah. Sure. If Cap says it, must be a good call."

Steve did his best not to feel the sting of the sharp retort. He was in pain. That much was becoming more and more obvious. He had to give him space. "You need help getting upstairs or can you make it?"

"I've got it," Tony growled, pushing himself off the seat.

Steve watched, forcing himself to remain where he was as the other man made his way unsteadily towards the stairs and up each one with increasing effort. "Hey FRIDAY?" he asked quietly when he thought Tony was out of earshot.

"_Yes, Captain?_"

"Could you let me know if he needs help?"

"_Yes, Captain._"

"Thanks," he huffed, turning back around to the dishes. Might as well clean it up. Tony hated a mess left out.

"I don't know what to do."

Steve turned, finding Howard sitting with his shoulders hunched over.

"I always know what to do."

"This is different."

"I get it's complicated, but I can fix almost anything given time, but this…. I'm not sure I can fix this, Cap. Was I really so bad?"

"I don't know, Howard. I was in the ice," Steve acknowledged softly.

His friend sagged against the table and Steve reached out to put a hand against his shoulder. He couldn't help him. He couldn't help Tony either. The whole thing was a mess.

* * *

He hadn't given Fury an answer one way or the other. The SHIELD director dropped him back off in Queens, his lego set in hand, and Peter climbed the stairs to his apartment numbly. He'd texted Ned and promised he would explain first chance he got, then he'd texted Aunt May who had not been quite as understanding. At least she'd calmed down by the time he got home and he found her curled up on the couch with a book in hand.

"Hey," he greeted hoarsely.

"Hey yourself. Everything okay?"

"I…." He winced, not sure how to answer that. "I don't know yet."

"Was that Mr Stark that stole you away this afternoon?"

"No. It was… someone else."

"One of the other Avengers?"

"Sort of? I can't…"

She stood, crossing the space between them and suddenly he was being pulled into a hug. "I don't like this, Peter."

"I know, Aunt May."

"But I can't stop you either, can I?"

"Uncle Ben always said that if you could help, you should. I can - I _have_ \- done a lot of good."

"And someone wants you to do more, don't they?"

"How did you…?"

"Because I know you," she said with a wink. Her smile was strained and she leaned in and kissed his forehead. "I can't stop you, but I need you to be careful. I need you to be smart."

"I know."

"If you can't tell me about it, talk to Mr Stark. Maybe he can help."

"I'm worried," he confessed softly.

"About what?"

"That if he gets in the middle of it that he'll get hurt again."

Aunt May pulled him into another hug, this one crushing. "He cares about you. As frustrating as that man is, he was willing to give up everything to bring you home. That has to count for something." The teen nodded against her shoulder. "Go call him?"

"Okay," he managed and turned back to his room, tossing the bag down and digging his cell out of his pocket before he took a heavy seat on the bed. He pulled in a deep breath and clicked Mr Stark's name from the speed dial before he could talk himself out of it, holding the phone up to his ear.

It rang once. Twice. Again and again until -

"_You know who I am. Leave a message_."

The line beeped, signalling Peter to start talking, but he hung up instantly. Aunt May was right. Mr Stark did care about him. He had risked everything to bring him home, and it was because of that that Peter couldn't tell him. He couldn't risk him coming to the rescue like he always did and getting hurt again. Or worse. This time, Peter had to protect Tony.

* * *

It was late by the time they got home. Morgan fell asleep in her booster on the way back and Pepper had to carry her into the house. "You and Steve are welcome to stay over," she murmured softly to Peggy. "It'd be too late when you got back to Brooklyn."

"Isn't Howard already taking up your guest bedroom?"

"We have two."

They made their way further into the house to find Steve crashed out on the couch. Okay, Peggy could have the spare bedroom to herself. She seemed perfectly alright with that and Pepper sent a very sleepy Morgan upstairs to brush her teeth before bed so that she could get the other guest room ready. Fresh sheets in place and everything set up, she turned to head to bed herself.

"She's my granddaughter."

Pepper looked around at the sudden voice and found Howard sitting at her kitchen table, a bottle of bourbon much more empty than it had begun at the beginning of the evening. "Yes she is."

"I knew that. I mean, here -" he tapped his temple - "but somewhere along the way it actually settled into place. Tony's not just the kid that I _will_ have. He's already been there. Everything's set in stone for him. No changing it."

Oh. Something had happened. Something that she hadn't expected. "You can't change the past just by traveling to it."

"No you can't," Howard Stark chuckled. "You're smart. I see why Tony loves you."

"I'd like to think it's more than just that."

"Yeah."

Pepper frowned a little as she inched forward. "He loves you, you know."

"I messed up."

"You will." He looked up, his expression hurt and she offered a small smile. "Every parent does. I have. Tony has. We all do. It's what we do with that that matters."

"I don't want to be my father."

"You won't be. You'll make your own mistakes, just like Tony makes his." She glanced towards the stairs. "What'd he say?"

"That I screwed him up…. But it made him who he was, and if I changed that he wouldn't be who he is. Who he thinks he needs to be."

That sounded like Tony. "Tony will be Tony. He's…. This is a crazy world we live in. A world that, apparently, has multiple possibilities and branches of the universe that splinter off in every direction with each decision we make. One thing I'm sure of is that Tony remains who he is in every one of them. I've known him too long, through too much to believe anything else."

She found Howard staring at her and she reached forward, a hand on his arm that she hoped was comforting. "Just know that he comes around eventually, and he knows you did your best."

"I didn't get that from him tonight."

"Well, he's human. And when he drinks he acts like an idiot. It's the worst time to ask him about how he feels about things." Howard snorted a soft chuckle and Pepper smiled. "Get some sleep. We'll see you in the morning."

"G'night, Pepper."

She turned, pausing only briefly to check on Peggy who was crouched down next to a half-asleep Steve Rogers on their couch and waved goodnight before making her way upstairs.

Morgan's room was empty, but she had a pretty good idea where the little girl had snuck off to, and she was right. She lay curled up next to her daddy in the king sized bed and snoring softly.

Tony, surprisingly enough, wasn't asleep yet.

Pepper inched her way closer and caught his attention. "Hey."

"Hey," he answered back, his voice raspy.

"I hear you had a rough night."

"I drank too much," he admitted softly. "You pissed?"

"You planning to make a habit of it?"

"No."

"Then I'll let it slide this once." She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You okay?"

"Everything hurts."

Pepper pulled back at the quiet confession and she saw the strain in his expression. She reached down, hand brushing against grey-flecked hair. "Just a sec, okay?"

He mumbled an acknowledgement and she moved to change quickly into a t-shirt and sleeping shorts. He wasn't asleep when she came back and she curled up against his back, her arm around his middle and she felt him take hold of her hand, their daughter on his other side curled up against his chest in the same way. Pepper relaxed against him and pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. "Any better?"

"Yeah," he breathed and she tightened her hold as much as she dared. They would have to deal with the fallout in the morning, she knew, but for now they could sleep.

* * *

TBC

**Notes**: So... this turned out longer than expected. Nearly 6K long. Glad I didn't try to combine it with the last chapter.

I feel like I should mention that I have not actually seen Far From Home yet, so while I have a vague understanding of what happens in the movie, I don't know the specifics. I just haven't been able to bring myself to watch yet. All that to say, if something in this story doesn't line up with FFH, that's why. It is an AU, though, so there is that.

**Next Time**: Peter struggles with his decision and plans are made for the Stark Expo.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

She woke up to an empty bed next to her. Pepper reached out, making sure, but found only sheets under her fingers. She frowned, glancing at the clock. After the night he had had it was far too early for Tony to be up and moving.

Pepper waited for a long moment, lying still and listened to the sounds of the house. Finally one caught her attention. A desperate cough, echoing into a hollow bowl. She threw the covers off and followed.

Pepper found her husband bent over the toilet in their bathroom, forehead pressed against porcelain and chest heaving as his body desperately tried to expel what was making him so ill. She inched forward. "Hey," she greeted softly.

Tony grunted a response, but it was half lost as he threw whatever was left in his stomach up. Pepper crouched down, a hand against his back, rubbing soothing circles in a way that she had found out many years ago was really all she could do to help in these situations. She waited until he was done before trying a weak joke. "Well this brings back memories."

"See, you think you're funny," he managed before sinking back down against toilet seat.

She didn't like the way he held his right arm cradled against him and she shifted the soothing motion to his shoulder. Tony flinched instantly and she stopped. "Okay," Pepper breathed, trying to get him to look at her. He just looked like he was trying not to hurl again. "What can I do?"

Dark eyes squeezed shut and there was a long pause before he answered. "Morgan still asleep?"

"At this hour? Yeah."

He swallowed hard. "She came into the room last night. Did she -?"

"She knew you weren't feeling well, but she had no idea why. I got her into her own bed around two."

Pepper saw what she thought was relief flash across his face. She'd heard enough stories about his own father's drunken escapades during his youth to know there was a very clear reason why he wouldn't want Morgan to see his own slip up. It probably didn't help that he had managed to get drunker than he had in years with the very same man.

Tony cleared his throat, reaching up to flush the toilet. "Okay."

"Back to bed?"

"I need to get to the garage."

"Tony -"

"Any chance you'd be willing to help me?"

She was tempted to tell him no. He needed to crawl back into bed and drink some water, not go out to the garage. "Why?"

"FRIDAY's got a read out on my general vitals, but I have equipment in there to run some tests."

"Should I be taking you to the hospital?" she asked carefully.

"No. I don't think so. My arm's just…." He grimaced as he slowly flexed his fingers. "It was stupid, Pep."

"Can't argue that," she said softly and leaned in to press a kiss to his temple. "You ready now?"

"Yeah, during the lull would be good."

He got to his feet more or less by himself, even if he leaned heavily to his left side. He held his right arm tightly against him and Pepper took hold of his left at the elbow to add some stability to each step. They took it slowly out of the bedroom and to the stairs. His knuckles were white as he gripped the railing by the time they got to the bottom, but he seemed determined to move forward. Pepper was diving for an empty trashcan by the time they reached the garage. Not that Tony had anything left in him to lose, but he sank ungracefully down to the garage floor to cough into it for several long moments before forcing himself to straighten again.

"There's, uh… box over there on the desk. Small-ish. It has what I need."

Pepper didn't waste any time going for it and she watched her husband open the container with trembling hands. There was an assortment of medical supplies inside and he pressed his thumb down on a reader of some kind, pulling it back and wiping the drop of blood from it. She took a seat on the floor with him and held her questions until the machine beeped.

"_Running analysis now, Boss_," FRIDAY announced.

Tony mumbled a response and slumped forward, bracing himself against his bent knees. Pepper scooted closer. "This isn't just a hangover, is it?"

He shook his head, cringing as he did. "Not just, but there's plenty of that too. Just not sure where one stops and the other starts."

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "You need anything?"

"Thought you'd be a lot more pissed," he confessed thinly.

"Believe it or not, I can tell the difference in letting a night get away from you and going back to old habits."

He leaned towards her and she wrapped her arms around him, feeling him settle his head against her collarbone. "I love you," he murmured quietly.

A soft smile pulled at her, but FRIDAY interrupted the moment. "_Boss, the analysis is ready for you._"

Tony cleared his throat and straightened, but he didn't seem intent on standing just yet. "Great. Put it up on the screen for me."

The AI complied and a holoscreen popped up for them to read. For as rotten as he seemed to feel, his numbers were too far off from what she might expect. He was dehydrated, but not dangerously so. His trouble breathing was likely due to the fact that he'd been sick since he woke up, but all in all she didn't think she needed to wake anyone up to help her haul her husband off to the hospital.

"Looks like we're in a safe range," he mumbled, but FRIDAY confirmed.

"_A third of a dose should get you up and running_."

Tony snorted. "You make me sound like a car." He reached into the box for one of the small syringes and Pepper recognized the altered Extremis solution that he and Peter had finally gotten to work that had given him mobility back in his right arm. The same mobility he seemed to be lacking at that moment. Localized and very limited, he'd had good results with it so far. "Apparently larger quantities of alcohol counteract the drug," he said, this time speaking to her.

She reached out to his shaking hand. "Let me help?"

"Thanks."

He walked her through the measurement and didn't even flinch when she stuck him with the needle. They sat there for a long moment, waiting on it to work, and Tony loosed a miserable sounding sigh. He needed a distraction.

"I got a call from MIT yesterday."

"Yeah?" he asked, voice tight but she thought maybe just a little grateful.

"They wanted to add three more entries to their section at the expo."

"Three? That's cutting it close. That's in what? Couple weeks?"

"Try a couple of days."

"Next time they harangue us on a speech or something they need to remember this."

"I told them yes."

"Really? Isn't that more work for you?"

"It's more work for Cheryl that's coordinating it, but she's taken care of. One of them was Harley so they knew I wouldn't say no."

That finally pulled a tired smile from him. "Can't wait to see it."

She watched him stretch his arm out carefully, clenching and unclenching his fist. "Well," she said, "it was better than the request that hit my desk last month." He shot her a questioning look. "From the leader of Latveria. Von Doom? Can you imagine what the press would do if we let a dictator her a slot?"

Tony actually snorted at that, shifting to stand. "We ran into him when we were hunting down Hydra a few years ago."

"Ran into him as in he was helping them?" Pepper asked. The potential international slight was looking well worth it if this man had some sort of terroristic links.

"Ehh…. Never definitive?" Pepper reached out, steadying him as he nearly toppled once he made it to his feet. "Let's just say it's better safe than sorry that he's not allowed in."

She shook her head, laughing softly. At least he was feeling better, their chaotic existence aside.

"Are we going somewhere?" he asked as she wrapped an arm around his back to steady him as she pulled him towards the door.

"Back to bed."

* * *

He couldn't take his eyes off of it. Was it real? He hadn't seen it before, but that didn't necessarily mean it wasn't real. He'd only been there for one full day. He could have easily missed it, but then the question presented itself: _why_ would it be there? Better question: if it wasn't there, why the hell would he be hallucinating an alpaca staring him down from Tony's front yard? Truth was Howard was too hungover to come up with a decent answer either way.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Howard jumped at the small voice that was suddenly right next to him, gaze darting between the little girl and the creature that was eyeing him down fast enough to make him nauseous all over again. He finally settled on Morgan, but nodded at the alpaca. "You see that?"

Morgan scrunched her nose up and turned to look, squinting. Finally she turned back. "Nu-uh."

Damn. He had gotten drunker than he realized.

The door opened behind them and Steve stepped out. His gaze shifted past them and he grinned. "Hey, I saw that guy on the way in yesterday. Is he yours?"

"Yep," Morgan answered chipperly. "His name is Gerald."

Howard's head snapped around. "Hey," he grumbled and Morgan offered him a huge grin. "You're a sneak. You know that?"

"Uh-huh."

Steve shot him a questioning look and Howard waved him off, finally noticing the cup of coffee in his hands. "Is that for me? Thanks, pal." He was taking it before Steve had a chance to respond and the taller man shook his head, chuckling a little. "Wha?"

"Nothing at all."

"So," Howard said slowly, the coffee mug warm between his palms, "You headin' out already?"

Cap quirked an eyebrow. "What, you afraid to face Tony by yourself?"

"Is Daddy mad at you?" Morgan asked.

"I'm sorry, are you still here, little sneak?"

Morgan giggled and stuck her tongue out at him. Howard's lips quirked up ever so slightly as he reached out to ruffle her hair.

"He's not mad at him. It's complicated," Steve offered.

"What's complicated?"

The blond man shot the five-year-old a bland look. "Your dad."

Howard rolled his eyes, regretting it instantly as his skull felt like it was going to crack open. "What happened between the two of you, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"Little bit of tension between you last night."

"Morgan, why don't you go in and see Peggy?" Steve offered and Howard thought that the little girl would tell him no for half a moment. Finally she shrugged and moved back inside to leave them on the porch together. Howard shot him an expectant look. "I think you mistook the tension between _you_ and Tony last night."

"Oh no. That was there. He made that abundantly clear, but I wasn't the only one he was snapping at. Got the impression there was some history."

Cap winced a little. "Yeah…. It's, uh…. Some of it comes from you."

"From me?"

"Apparently you talked about me a lot."

"Huh."

"Some of it's mine though. Maybe most of it. I… Tony thinks I betrayed his trust. We've put it behind us, I think. Moved past it, but I hurt him. I never meant to."

Howard looked at him, the sincerity weighing down even through his hangover. He wasn't sure what had happened between Cap and Tony, but it hadn't been good. "You'll watch out for him, though?" He found a pair of blue eyes on him, a question unvoiced. "When you guys send me back," he murmured. "Not that he can't watch out for himself, but, uh… I don't know. Seems like the type trouble could find easy."

"It does, and yeah. I've got his back."

"Good."

Howard took a long sip from his claimed coffee, feeling it burn his throat. "I wanna do right by him, Cap. I know he thinks that'll screw things up, but the timeline'll adjust. It'll just be different. I wanna do right by him."

Steve reached out and Howard felt himself tilt a little at the hand in his shoulder. "You will, Howard. I know you will. I've never seen you fail at anything you really put your mind to."

"Never found you," Howard murmured, but both men's attention was immediately drawn to the helicopter flying overhead. "Uh…. Is that landing here?"

The two men watched as the helicopter flew over the house and sank down behind it.

* * *

He was moving slowly and a little unsteadily still, but at least he was moving. Out of bed, dressed, and working on a cup of coffee. If he was lucky he might even feel vaguely human by the time Peter and Happy arrived at the house. The plan had been to meet them at Stark Industries HQ in New York City, but after his episode that morning Tony had thrown that one out of the window. It was fine. They could get just as much work done here without risking someone walking in on it.

It was just as well too. Pym had found out about Tony's hack, and wasn't _that_ making an already eventful morning even more so?

Plans to head downstairs for breakfast had been interrupted by Hope Van Dyne who had called to give them a warning of the possible legal action her father was threatening over the "theft" of his material. Theft was a bit of a stretch, Tony had mumbled, but Pepper had swatted him away from the phone as she spoke to the woman she'd fought alongside during the battle against Thanos. This wasn't a Pym Technologies and Stark Industries situation, his wife had explained calmly. This was personal and was being handled with the utmost care to keep Hank's formula safe. Did Hope know _why_ they were interested in it?

Funny thing, Hank hadn't mentioned to his daughter that Tony and Cap had shown up at his office to ask for his help in sending Howard Stark back to his own time. Shocker. Well, it didn't excuse Tony's actions - or so Hope had apparently grumbled - but as long as the Starks were willing to give their word that that was the only reason for it and that as soon as Howard was back where he needed to go that all traces of the Pym Particle formula would be wiped from their servers, Hope could hold her father off. Pepper had given her word and the situation had been resolved before it had truly blown up.

She threw the phone at the foot of the bed and Tony watched it bounce off, thunking to the floor. He turned back to find her glaring at him. "You were no help."

"You told me zip it!" he argued, knocking back the last gulp of his coffee.

"And did you?"

Oh. That's what she meant. He grimaced and glanced down a little sulkily at his feet. "No."

"Exactly."

"Turned out alright by the end." She shot him a look that could only be described as longsuffering. "Because my wife is amazing and can talk anybody down from anything. Did I mention you're amazing, hon?" The sound of a chopper flying overhead drew his attention. "And look. There they are."

"Saved by the kid."

"I love you?" he offered and the smile finally broke through her irritated look.

"You too. Go figure this out so that the next call I have with Hope is about the girls' weekend we've been talking about."

Tony swallowed the question before he risked it and started for the door and down the stairs. He paused only for a moment when he spotted Morgan on the couch, legs folded under her as she leaned forward to listen closely to a story that Peggy was telling her, and by the time he walked through the back door he found Cap and Howard watching the helicopter land on the slab of concrete curiously. He offered Steve the barest of nods.

"Is that pilotless?"

That pulled his attention over to where Howard was clutching a mug of coffee like it was the only thing keeping him tethered to consciousness and Tony set his jaw. He hadn't meant to unleash on the other man like he had the night before. He'd just pressed one too many buttons and - if he were being truly honest - he'd found himself opening up to him. To enjoying the conversation and the company. He couldn't risk getting close. He couldn't use the man that hadn't even met his mother yet to work through any of his own lingering issues with the father that had raised him. It wasn't fair to either of them. And, in the end, it would make saying goodbye that much harder.

"You not talkin' to me this morning?"

Howard's voice shook him from his thoughts. "Sorry. Still kinda hungover. Yeah. Makes my life easier if I don't have to worry about a pilot." The door slid open and Tony stepped forward. "Hey, guys."

Happy was the first off the helicopter, his gaze immediately darkening at the sight of Howard on the back porch and Howard offered a cheeky smile and wave. Yeah. He had to know that the other man hated him. It was just a good thing Rhodey hadn't come with them.

Pete followed after Happy, looking considerably less excited than Tony would have assumed for his first flight in the helicopter. He flashed the kid a grin. "How'd you like the chopper ride? Beats a two hour drive out, doesn't it?"

Peter shifted, not quite meeting his eyes. "Oh, yeah. It was really cool, Mr Stark."

Tony blinked hard, risking a look over at Happy who shrugged. It was that kind of morning all around. "Okay then. Let's get some caffeine in you and get to work."

* * *

He should have been excited. A helicopter ride - with no pilot! - out to Mr Stark's place to work with him hand-in-hand in the Pym Particle project that would help send his dad home. Any other time he would have been over the moon about it, but Peter couldn't focus. The whole trip there, on the walk into garage, and even when he was supposed to be working, all he could think about was Director Fury. He hadn't called, hadn't pushed, but the threat was there. It was imminent, and Peter could help. He _should_ help. He really should talk to Mr Stark about it. If he took Fury up on his request he was going to find out anyway, and he'd be pissed that he hadn't come to him before he did. The problem was, if he did go to him, he'd find a way to stop him. Even if that meant putting himself in danger. The whole decision making process was turning into a vicious loop and leaving him without a whole lot of spare focus for anything else. Even really awesome chopper rides and projects.

"Pete?"

He startled at the sound of his name and looked over to find a pair of brown eyes on him. Mr Stark was kicked back at one of the desks, feet up, and munching in what looked like dried blueberries. He wore an expectant look, like he wasn't interested in repeating something again. Peter ducked his head. "Sorry. What'd you say?"

"Asked if you were with me. Guess the answer to that is no."

Peter felt his face heat up at that. "I, uh…. sorry, Mr Stark. I'm here. I'm with you. I —" he looked frantically to the screen in front of him for something to comment on. "Wow, you weren't kidding about it being complicated, were you?"

"Hank's a dick, but he's smart. I have to give him that."

"I'm not gonna…. you really think I can help with this?"

"Oh yeah," Mr Stark answered immediately and Peter's mind spun trying to process the immediate faith his mentor had in his abilities. "Your hands are a whole lot steadier than mine are today. You ready?"

Okay, so maybe not _that_ much faith.

He watched the older man move, grumbling at one of his bots before rolling his eyes and patting it affectionately, finally leaning around it for what he needed. Not everyone got this kind of chance. Not just a chance to work with a mentor, but a second chance when he'd almost lost him. He should enjoy that. Every second of it. When he decided what he would do about Fury, then - maybe - he'd talk to Mr Stark about it. Until then he just needed to focus on what was right in front of him.

"Hey, Mr Stark, what if we tried a cooling agent here?" he asked, motioning to the tablet in his hand and a specific section of the formula. "Might actually speed up the process?"

Mr Stark made his way back over, peering at the information and a slow smile tilted his lips. "That could work. Good job, kid. Let's get cracking."

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: The moment I saw the deleted scene with Gerald, I knew he had a place in this story XD

**Next Time**: Tony takes a break from the Pym Particles to attend opening day for the Stark Expo, Howard wrangles an invite, and Peter makes his decision.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen **

It was a terrible idea. Horrible, really. Even if you completely ignored all of the tech that would be on display and the exhibit on how Stark Industries had progressed over the years and their contributions both to the military and to the world, there would be footage from previous expos. Video clips and reels showing a young Howard Stark in them. Someone would recognize him. It was a terrible idea.

But then Morgan had begged. He'd put her up to it, Tony knew, but his little girl had pulled out all the stops. Waterworks, trembling voice, and a promise to watch Howard so that he didn't get lost. Tony had looked to Pepper, begging for some kind of support, but he'd gotten no help. Howard had played his cards right snagging Morgan. That kid had a talent.

That was how Tony found himself standing at the entrance to the 2024 Stark Expo with his father, reminding him to keep the brim of his baseball cap pulled low and the sunglasses on. Yes, even inside.

"If anyone asks or comments about how much you look like -"

"Me?" Howard chuckled, clearly amused by the whole thing.

"Yeah. You're a distant cousin. Got it?"

"Right. What name do I give them?"

Tony blinked at him. "Uhh… I don't know? Howie? No, that sounds stupid. Just go with Howard."

"You're terrible at this."

He tossed a glare his way. "Just keep your head down. You're my kid's responsibility, remember?"

"Like a goldfish. Got it."

Tony snorted at that. "You said it." He nodded at the guard at the door and they passed through without the search everyone else was getting.

Howard turned as they walked, watching the lines. "What's with all the security?"

"It's standard these days." He spotted Pepper with Morgan up ahead, Steve and Peggy with them. The grin that had just started to pull into place immediately dissipated at the sight of Bucky Barnes with them. He, on the other hand, looked like a kid on Christmas morning. One that was letting a curious five-year-old examine his bionic arm. Tony cleared his throat. "Oh Morguna? I thought we had a deal about if a certain someone got to come in?"

Morgan turned, grinning broadly. "Daddy, look! It's shiny!"

"Yes it is," he answered noncommittally. His gaze flickered to the man he had a tenuous truce with. "Careful there. Look away and she'll find a panel and start in on the wiring."

Barnes lifted a skeptical eyebrow at Morgan who grinned brightly at him, but didn't counter Tony's warning. "Thanks for the heads up," he chuckled and slowly pulled his arm out of the little girl's immediate reach. His full smile returned as Howard joined them and Tony was reminded of what Steve had said about the two knowing each other. Howard was perfectly comfortable with him… which would make the betrayal he couldn't even warn him about all the worse.

"They've got an exhibit over there with one of your old flying cars," Barnes said, motioning in that direction. "Did I tell you that I saw you present it in '43?"

Howard grinned. "You were there? Small world."

"I'm sure you and Pepper need to make an appearance." Tony turned, finding Steve watching him watch Howard. "You want me to keep an eye on him for a while?"

"Me too, Uncle Steve!" Morgan squealed, taking hold of his hand. "When Pete gets here, he can come too."

"We'll take good care of them," Peggy promised.

Any argument that Tony might have made was instantly swallowed as a gackle of reporters had finally sorted them and were beelining in their direction. The last thing they needed was Howard's photo showing up on a blog or the ten o'clock news. He pushed a long breath out through his nose and turned to Morgan. "You got this?"

"Yeah!"

"Counting on you." He ruffled her hair and she giggled as he looked up to Steve, mouthing _thanks_.

Steve nodded in response as Peggy took Morgan's hand. "Why don't we go see some of the sights?"

"I wanna show you the suits!"

"Suits?"

"Iron Man suits!"

His little girl's voice faded into the distance as they left, replaced by the sudden onslaught of reporters. Pepper was suddenly at his side, hand on his arm and her bright, camera-ready smile firmly in place as he flashed his own and prayed that this was the first time since he'd come out of recovery that no one asked about the battle with Thanos.

* * *

The media missed Tony even if he didn't always seem to miss them. Pepper played interference, an easier job than it once was as the CEO of Stark Industries, and for entirely different reasons than they had been when she fended them off years before. Fifteen years ago she was trying to keep him from saying something he'd regret while hungover - or still drunk - while now the moment the conversation shifted over to Thanos, the war, or Tony's scars it was like an alarm went off and she leapt into action. It was in those moments that she was actually grateful for all the practice that she had had at turning the tide of the conversation. Did they know that MIT had brought an entire group of students whose projects had been funded by the September Foundation to display at the expo? No? They should really talk about that.

Pepper didn't have to see the grateful look her husband shot her to know it was coming her way. They talked about it, either complimenting the other as they discussed the various projects, the kids that had submitted, and how funding these types of projects could change their future for the better.

"While this is, of course, amazing, I'm not sure how we segwayed here from the battle with Thanos," one notoriously persistent blogger pressed, his gaze focused in on Tony.

"Because, Tucker, four of the ten attendees were Snapped Out," Pepper explained, bringing their attention back around to her. "Stark Industries has worked to pick the best and the brightest designs that are geared towards finding new and inventive ways to help with the readjustment, and who better than those that were taken from us? These kids are our future, and everybody at Stark Industries is excited to give them the tools they need to make it the best future for everybody."

Somewhere in there Tony ducked away, flashing the smile that only Pepper knew was fake as he said he was going to go take a look at the finished products they'd brought with them. He left, and the questions turned back to the expo and away from the hopes of being the first reporter to glean an interview from Iron Man about a battle he'd repeatedly refused to discuss or answer questions on publically.

Pepper put in her time with them and finally stepped away, feeling a rush of relief as she did. She should go rescue Steve and Peggy from what was quickly becoming the dangerous dynamic duo of Morgan and Howard, but instead she found herself making her way over MIT's area where she knew she'd find her husband.

Tony stood with Harley Keener and she recognized the real smile that had replaced the press-induced fake one. She'd only met Harley a handful of times, but she knew the stories well. Even as a kid he'd helped Tony out when he'd been stuck without any of his usual resources and had left a mark on him in a lasting way. He was smart. Brilliant even, but in the years following high school he'd decided to go a different way. Two years before, though, Tony had received a call asking if his offer still stood. There hadn't been a moment's hesitation. Harley was in before he'd ever even applied, and Tony had been thrilled to make it happen. The kid hadn't disappointed him since.

"Hi, Pepper," he greeted her and she offered him a bright smile.

"Harley. How's it going?"

"I hear I have you to thank for my late entry," he said with a sheepish grin.

"I hope you made it worth it."

"He has a prototype that could open up a way to provide a sustainable, affordable solution to clean water shortages," Tony said, and she thought there was a bit of pride in his voice. She lifted one fair eyebrow at him over it and he flashed her a bright smile.

"That sounds amazing, Harley. Glad we found a spot for you."

"How'd the media circus go?"

She turned to her husband. "Not bad. Once they realized they weren't getting an Iron Man interview they went back to the expo."

Tony nodded, accepting the answer, but an excitable voice drew their attention. Morgan was running toward them at breakneck speed, Howard and a newly arrived Peter in tow. She had begged someone into buying her a baseball cap with _Stark Expo 24_ in big, bold letters. "Look who came!"

Harley stepper forward. "Peter, right?"

"That's me."

Pepper glanced over to Howard. "Did you lose Peggy and Steve?"

"They got distracted by the Women's Exhibit."

"I thought Peggy might enjoy that."

"Pep?"

She turned, Tony's serious expression causing a knot to form in her stomach. She followed his line of sight to see a strangely dressed man moving through the crowd. Expo attendees stopped and stared, but the armor he wore could have easily been a part of one of the show exhibits.

"Well he's hella creepy looking," Harley said, his nose turned up a little.

"Mr Stark, isn't that the dictator from Latveria?" Peter asked.

"The same that we turned down," Pepper grumbled. "I'll call security."

"Just have them on standby," Tony said firmly. "From what I've heard this guy doesn't get escorted out without a scene. After the last expo, I'd rather not have one."

"What's his deal?" Howard asked.

"Let me find out," Tony answered, and Pepper knew that tone. She hated that tone. It almost always meant something bad was going to happen. "Pete, you get Howard and Morgan out, would you? Pep, you know what to watch for."

She nodded. Arguing with him was pointless for this.

"Tony, What can I do?"

Tony turned towards Harley. "Be ready to clear your classmates out if things go south."

Pepper drew in a deep breath as she watched his demeanor change, a charming smile replacing the dangerous scowl and Tony Stark strode forward to meet the approaching Victor Von Doom. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

* * *

He could have sworn there had been a breeze not five minutes before, but as Tony approached the man decked from head to toe like he was ready to throw down at any point, everything seemed to have gone still. His brain worked at a rapid pace, assessing the threat risk, how much good it would actually do if Pepper did call security or if it would just put more people in danger, and how far off help might be. He'd sent Pete away, but knowing him he'd store Howard and Morgan someplace safe, grab his suit, and come back. That was one. Cap and Peggy were at the Women of Stark Industries exhibit which was, maybe, close enough for them to hear if a fight broke out. That was one more, maybe two. Barnes was around there somewhere and Rhodey had said he'd swing by. Okay. That was a lot of iffy variables he was playing with.

And at the edge of all of that was one more calculation. One that he shouldn't even be making because he knew the end result. Yes, he had enough suits on display there to have one available and yes it would come to him at the press of a button. What it would do to him was another matter altogether. While the ARC reactor could provide a power source for it even though this one hadn't necessarily been designed to do so, the suit always put a strain on his body. When he was in good health he barely felt it, but with everything he'd been through in the last year… the odds weren't great. No matter how many times he ran them.

"Stark," Von Doom greeted, if the rumble of his name could be considered a greeting.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" Tony popped back, his smile a little lopsided, but he met the other man's eyes through the slits in the mask. "Wait wait. Don't tell me. Von something. Von Dam, Von Der, Von —"

"Doom," the dictator growled.

"Right. Victor Von Doom. How could I forget a name like that?" He flashed an overly-innocent smile. "Whatcha doin' here, Vic?"

"You thought you could keep me away?"

Great. Another diva. Did these guys have a club or something? Doom, Loki, idiots that liked to crash in and destroy things, because it was becoming increasingly more clear that this was not going to be diffused before it started. Maybe he could at least buy some time. "That's right, you did want a slot, didn't you? You know, we have this new policy. The _no dictator_ policy. We didn't even know we needed to put it in place until —"

Tony wasn't sure what hit him, but all at once every muscle seized up and he felt his chest tighten dangerously. He blinked hard, focusing on what he thought were…. tendrils…. reaching out. What the actual hell? Not another wizard. He hated these guys. Wasn't one enough? Especially when that one was on their side? He did not need any other powers that he still hadn't quite wrapped his mind around yet. Especially the kind lifting up off the ground and into the air like they were capable and willing to rip him limb from limb at their master's sayso.

It was getting hard to breathe, but he couldn't thrash against the hold. Instead he felt it tighten, and he could practically feel fingers wrapping around his throat. He choked against it, and suddenly he was tilted forward so that he could see Doom and all of his rage. "Did you think you can keep Doom out?"

"I'd sure hoped so," Tony managed.

Doom looked almost disappointed. "I'd expected more from the great Iron Man."

"You may have missed it. I retired. Crazy thing, I know, but -" The quip was cut off by the shout of pain.

"You're not worth the time," the dispot snarled. "Today, I will -"

Whatever threat he had in his bag of hyperbole never left his lips - assuming he had them. It was hard to tell with the mask he wore - as a blur of blue slammed hard into him, knocking him off his feet and sending him sliding. Tony tumbled to the ground, instantly released from his bonds. He landed hard on his back with the breath knocked out of him and struggled to sit up, looking for some hint as to what had saved him. A grin tugged at him as he saw Pepper standing, fully suited up in the suit she had dubbed _Rescue_ \- because she had teased him that he had needed rescuing while fighting Thanos - and squaring off against the idiot Doom. "And that's my wife," Tony mumbled proudly, even if it was just to himself.

Doom was on his feet in an instant, though, and came around at Pepper. She was good. A natural when she had a suit made for her, and she blocked it so that she was only pushed back an inch or two. It was the second slam that sent her stumbling, and he used the momentum to level a third attack that sent her flying back so that she hit the ground hard. She rolled to her feet almost immediately and Tony managed to release the breath he hadn't realized that he was holding.

"Mr Stark!"

He whipped around towards Peter's voice and found himself face to face with a robot grabbing for him. Tony stumbled back as Spider-Man came crashing in. Okay, he was at a serious disadvantage, and one that he couldn't afford if the converging number of bots were anything to go by.

"People really like to attack your expos, don't they?" Pete called out.

"Yeah, well, I was hoping to get more than one day in, but some people don't take no for an answer." He reached up to his sunglasses, tapping a button. "FRIDAY? You know what to do."

"_Any preference, Boss_?"

"Thrill me."

One of the bots caught hold of him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him off his feet. He felt himself flying backwards and all at once there was a loud clang before it released him.

The glove had come first, slamming into Doom's bot to get to him, and Tony looked to see the rest of the suit on the way. It was an older model, not as clean as the nanotechnology of his latest suits, but it would do. By the time the next bot came his way, Tony blew it pieces with a repulsor beam.

"_Tony_?" Pepper's worried voice sounded over the private audio feed that instantly clicked into place between their suits.

"I'm okay for now. Just focus on the nutcase that decided to crash the expo." The last thing he needed was for her to be distracted worrying over him. "FRIDAY, how many are we looking at?"

The data flashed across his screen. "_They're all over the grounds, but you've got some help_." Footage of Cap and Barnes fighting off several of the bots and Peggy Carter taking one down with a gun - he wasn't sure how she'd gotten into the expo and past his security. She _was_ good - played across. Well, they had that covered at least.

Tony joined Pepper facing off against Doom, both turning to help Peter with the raging bots in between blows. Doom actually seemed to be enjoying himself, of all the crazy reactions. He'd heard of the man, beyond the brief interaction that the Avengers had had. He was brilliant, supposedly, even if levels deep into the crazy farm, and he loved to prove himself better than others. Better than Tony Stark at his own expo or better than Iron Man and any Avengers littered throughout the crowd. It must have been like a candy store to a madman that thought he could win.

"The Invincible Iron Man," Doom jeered.

"Is that the newest name?" Tony popped off as he darted out of the way of one of those tendrils of energy that leapt out at him. "I mean, it was Earth's Best Defender, but I guess when you help save the whole universe you have to learn to grow." He caught the tendril around his wrist, this suit absorbing the power and he grinned inside of it. "I like it. Catchy." Power erupted from the ARC reactor in the center and sent Doom flying back.

And Tony felt like he'd been socked in the gut. Okay. Bad life choice. Duly noted. He sagged, trying to catch his breath as his body strained against the suit.

"I did not come here to battle a withering hero," Doom growled, apparently already back on his feet. Not for long, though. Pepper's blast caught him hard and sent him crashing into the side of a building.

"Good. Hate to disappoint," Tony gasped out.

"Are you okay?"

He looked up, trying to gather himself to look to where Pepper was standing next to him, her face reflected on his readouts. "Yeah."

"Tony…"

"Let's wrap this up."

He saw her nod on his screen - he hadn't heard the last of this - and start forward towards the villain that was trying to regain his balance. The two of them went at it as they did everything they did well: together. They slammed into Doom with more power than he could handle and he was laid out flat on his back, unconscious, and Tony skidded to a landing to look back at the bots. His lips tugged at the corners when he saw the ones within view all wrapped up in webbing.

"What'dya think, Mr Stark?" Peter called out happily.

"Great job, kid."

The teenage superhero tilted his head. "Are you okay?"

He must have sounded as exhausted as he felt. His helmet snapped back and he breathed in fresh air. "Just gotta catch my breath and get out of the suit," he managed.

He was ready to do just that until FRIDAY's voice sounded in his ear. "_Boss, there's trouble with Morgan and Mr Stark._"

The helmet snapped back into place and Tony was already jettising towards them even as Pepper's voice followed him.

"Let me -"

"Morgan and Howard are in trouble." He couldn't just sit back and let everyone else fight the battle. It wasn't who he was. It certainly wasn't who he'd become. And it certainly wasn't when it came to his family, even if it was Pep's too. He had no right to keep her from it and he wouldn't, but there was no way in hell he was going to stand on the sidelines when their little girl was in danger.

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: Sorry for the delay in this one, but the posting date is landing nicely for the Pepperony Week over on Tumblr's sixth day. The prompt is fix it fic :D

I've been back and forth on who to use to crash the expo (because, let's face it, of course it was going to get crashed) and I thought 'who would be just extra enough that hasn't been used in MCU before that would pop in just to cause trouble?). I mean, I guess Loki could have hopped over, but Doom seemed fun, and just dramatic enough that he'd be insulted that they created a no dictator rule just for him.

**Next Time**: Tony rushes to save Morgan and Howard, Peter talks to Fury, and Tony is left to make a decision of his own.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

The Parker boy had shoved them in a storage closet and demanded that they stay put before slamming the door in his face. Howard had been ready to fling it right back open, letting the punk teenager know that he wasn't afraid of some trumped up, wannabe Hydra bots flying around. He could be useful. He could find a way to deactivate them, or fight them, or… The mental list had slammed to a stop at the look on his granddaughter's face as she clung to his hand, genuinely terrified. And suddenly his worth didn't matter. For the first time in his life he knew that was true. Protecting that little girl was it. For Tony. For her. For the family he was getting to know that he would have to lose. It wasn't about him. It was about them.

It didn't take long for the door to slam inward and Morgan screamed. Howard swept her up in his arms as he darted to the side and into the hallway, the bot right behind them.

Morgan clung to him, arms wrapped around his neck like she was determined that he could protect her. And why wouldn't she believe that he could? Her father would be able to. Howard should be able to. A blast hit at his feet, ripping the concrete floor up and sending him stumbling. He managed to land on his side rather than on top of her, the breath knocked out of him as he did, and she scrambled to her feet first. Howard looked in horror as she reached forward with one of those silly little gloves that she wore that she seemed to think would do something. "Stop, or be incinerated!" she demanded with the determination only a five-year-old could muster.

Howard stumbled to his feet, dragging her behind him and out of the way of the blast that would have killed her. He looked back, finding only a solid wall behind them, and turned dark eyes back to the bot. "Okay… I'm sure your creator can hear me, right? Maybe. If so, you're making a big mistake. I can make you a wealthy man. You just have to let us go."

The bot raised its arm, the palm glowing and Howard steeled himself. This was it. This was how he was going to die.

A loud crash drew his attention and he watched as a streak of red and gold slammed through the roof and into the bot, destroying it in one hit. The suit - one just like he'd seen in the garage - came to a stumbling, skidding landing.

"Daddy!" Morgan squealed and she sprinted around Howard before he could stop her.

Thankfully, the helmet of the suit snapped back to reveal Tony and he dropped to a knee to meet her. "Hey you," he said breathlessly as Morgan wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're okay. We're okay. Everybody's okay."

The little girl was wailing by this point and Howard winced, shifting where he stood. "Are they…?"

Tony looked up, two sets of nearly identical brown eyes meeting. "Yeah. That was the last one."

"Lucky us, we got it," Howard huffed.

"I tried to protect Howard, but he wouldn't let me," Morgan told her father between gulps and sniffles.

"Yeah?" Tony's gaze didn't leave him, almost like the question was being directed at him. "You protected her."

"Well, I wasn't gonna let 'em get her," Howard answered awkwardly, running his hand along the back of his head. "She thought she could take them out with a glove."

Tony pressed a kiss to his daughter's cheek and stood, the movement stiff and slow. Howard watched as the suit opened up to let him step out of it, and he was moving before he really registered that Tony was stumbling. He caught him, holding him up and he felt the man that would be his son sink against him, a strained breath leaving him. "Thank you."

"I didn't actually do much," Howard murmured as he eased the other man down to the floor in a controlled descent. Surprisingly enough, Tony didn't let go, and somewhere in there he realized that the desperate hold had turned into an embrace. His own fingers curled into the fabric of Tony's shirt and he swallowed hard. Okay. He could get used to this.

Morgan joined them, her little arms latched onto them both and Howard felt the smile tugging at him. He could definitely get used to this.

* * *

The expo was in chaos. Security had flooded the grounds, corralling people away and to safety. Pepper and Ms Carter has slipped away - Ms Carter so that she wouldn't be spotted by reporters and Pepper because she had no interest in broadcasting that she'd been the one in the Rescue suit if she could help it - which left Captain Rogers and Peter to help hold things down. SHIELD was arriving on-scene, theoretically there to provide support. In reality, they swooped in and shoved Doom into the back of a nondescript van. Peter's gaze swept the agents nervously for Fury.

"Pete! Pete! Pete!"

Peter was looking before he remembered that he was still fully decked out in his Spider-Man suit, but that didn't stop Morgan Stark from launching herself at him. A breath of relief rushed out of him as he caught her, pulling her close only for a moment before putting her back down. Just because her dad didn't mind the world knowing who he was didn't mean Peter wanted to broadcast it. "No one knows my name, remember?"

"I do."

"And gotta keep that secret," he told her, putting his finger against the mask over his lips.

Morgan mirrored the motion. "Right. Our secret."

"Right." He looked past her as she started for _Uncle Steve_ and saw Mr Stark and his father making their way over, Mr Stark leaning on the other man. "Holy…. are you okay?"

His mentor looked over at the squeaked question and eased away from the other Mr Stark. "Yeah, I'm okay. More or less."

He was pale and shaking ever so slightly where he stood. If he listened, Peter could hear the way Mr Stark's breathing wasn't quite steady and how his heart still struggled to keep the right rhythm, the ARC reactor likely the only thing setting it straight. He looked terrible. "The suit," Peter breathed. They'd known, or at the very least they'd suspected. And they'd been right. "There are EMT's all around here. Let me —"

"Hey, kid. Breathe. Let them help the people that actually need it. You seen Pep?"

"I don't think she wanted the reporters to see her in the suit."

"Smart. She'd never shake them." He reaches around and clapped a hand to Peter's arm affectionately. "You did good, kid."

Peter mumbled his thanks and waited until Mr Stark had shuffled painfully away before swallowing hard. "Hey Karen? Is he really okay?"

"_His read outs don't show that he's in immediate danger, but the Iron Man suit did a number on him_," his own suit's AI responded, her tone almost sad.

"Okay. So he shouldn't do it again?"

"_I would need a better diagnostic, but the data I have would indicate that prolonged use of the suit could do irreparable damage_."

"Right. Okay. Right. I see SHIELD. Is Director Fury here?"

"_He's by the hotdog stand_."

He pulled in a steadying breath and risked one glance back at Mr Stark. If Peter had taken Fury up on his offer then maybe they would have been ready. Maybe this wouldn't have happened. He couldn't risk it happening again, because if people were in danger, Mr Stark was going to jump into action. That's who he was, even if it killed him. If he had someone to rely on, though, someone that would take care of the threat before it even happened, he could rest. He could be okay.

"Thanks, Karen," Peter mumbled as he shot a string of webbing out and took off towards the hotdog stand.

* * *

Every second felt like it was weighing on him. He had sent the suit back to the display and Howard had offered him a literal shoulder to lean on after the third time that Tony had tripped over nothing on their way back to the epicenter of the chaos. His father had had to step away - not far, Tony noted - when the reporters descended with every question under the sun about the attack. Who was he? Had he been apprehended? Was Iron Man back? Thankfully Pepper re-emerged to give him a breather and Tony presses a grateful kiss to her cheek as she took over.

"Why is it that all your expos get crashed?"

Tony turned at the sound of his best friend's voice, trying for a smile that turned a little lopsided. "You say all like there have been a lot of them."

"You're two for two, Tones," Rhodey chuckled. "Those aren't great odds."

The younger man reached out, Rhodey using the handshake to pull him into a hug. "We have a problem," he murmured clandestinely.

"And here I thought you were just happy to see me," Tony chuckled.

"Don't make this weird."

"You're the one going for the five minute hug in front of reporters." Rhodey finally released him, glaring a little despite Tony's grin. That smile slowly faded. "Okay. Really serious."

"SHIELD's here."

"I saw the vans."

"Fury came with them."

Dark brows drew together. "Did you see him?"

"Not personally —"

"What makes you think he's here?"

"A reliable source."

Tony waved him off. "Okay okay. So what? Fury's stretching his SHIELD legs again. Let him. I don't want to deal with the international incident. I want to wrap this up and go home."

"I don't think he's here for Doom, Tony."

"So who's he here for?"

Rhodey glanced around, looking entirely uncomfortable. "Parker."

It felt like someone had kicked him right in the gut. "What does Fury want with Peter?"

"I don't know."

"But you know something. How do you know? Who —?"

"Maria Hill."

Tony blinked hard. "Why would Hill tell you?"

Rhodey swallowed hard. "Because she was here with me."

The words were said in such a rush that it took Tony's exhausted mind a moment to piece them together. "You and Hill?"

"Don't make this a thing."

"Here together?"

"Tony…."

"On a date or what?"

His friend sighed. "There was a vibe, she got dusted, she came back, we've been seeing each other for a couple months. I wanted to see if it was going anywhere before opening it all up."

He shook his head like it would somehow expel the utterly bizarre thought of James Rhodes and Maria Hill dating out of his mind. He was going to have nightmares.

But that didn't matter right now. Pete meeting with Fury? That mattered. He reached up to his glasses. "FRIDAY, give me a location on Fury?" Security footage of Fury and Peter talking just a couple rows from where they were flashed across the glasses' interface and he started forward.

"Tony, you need me to —"

"No. I got it."

"But you're okay?"

"Yeah." He knew what Fury was there for. Why else would he approach a teenage superhero? He was recruiting the kid. Or making it look like he was to pull Tony out of retirement. That was more likely, and there was no way in hell Tony was just going to sit back and let the kid become Fury's personal, powered gopher.

"Hey, is that who it looks like?" Rhodes shouted after him, but Tony didn't stop. If he stopped he'd lose momentum, and it was amazing how well anger steadied his steps forward. He'd explain Howard later.

He wove in and around security, SHIELD agents, and police, any complaints instantly silenced as they recognized him. Even Maria Hill stepped aside, which left him with the bitter suspicion of a man that had been screwed around too many times by people he thought he could trust. "You better not be using him," he growled as he passed, his voice low enough that she was the only one that could hear.

She didn't answer and he didn't give her time to as he blew past, beelining for Fury and Peter who stood off to the side.

Hill must have tipped him off because, despite Tony's approach from his blind side, Fury turned to look at him. "Tony, give us just a moment here-"

"Cut the bullshit, Nick," Tony all but snarled and watched Peter pale where he stood.

"Mr Stark, I can —"

"I already know what's going on."

"He's just stepping up to fill the sizable gap you've left behind," Fury said, his tone easy.

"Drop the act. This was never about bringing him in. I wouldn't give you the time of day so you went for the kid. That's low, Fury."

"I do what him, but I want you too —"

"There it is."

"— and I'm willing to cut a deal with you that should get us both something we want. What do you say, Stark?"

"Mr Stark, I didn't -"

Tony felt his temper flare and he spun on the teen. "You didn't _think_. I'm well aware you didn't think, and now I'm cleaning it up."

"There's a threat out there," Peter managed, his voice sounding small next to Tony's own angry shout. "I didn't want you to get hurt again."

"That's not your call to make."

"And it's not yours to tell me I can't —"

"It most certainly is my call. You're sixteen. Hell, not even sixteen yet. Go home."

"I saw what that suit did to you out there. If you —"

"Go. Home." Tony willed his tired muscles not to shake, his shoulders squared and his head held high. He wouldn't budge on this one.

Peter looked like he might argue, but clenched his jaw tightly and nodded. His mask snapped back into place and he shot his webbing towards the nearest building and was gone. Tony reaches up to his glasses. "FRIDAY, have Karen make sure he gets there."

"_You got it, Boss_."

Once he was out of sight - out of immediate danger - the adrenaline rush tapered back, leaving him exhausted. He staggered and Fury's hand shot out to steady him. Tony shoved it away. "Drop the act, Nick. You just used that kid to get to me. Here I am, for all the good it'll do you."

"You always think you know exactly what's gonna happen," Fury chuckled.

"Could be because I keep calling it."

"Yes you do. I meant what I said, Tony. We can both win here. Have a seat before you fall over and let's talk."

* * *

It had been a long, long day, and the sun was setting by the time Happy had secured the helicopter to fly Pepper, Tony, Morgan, and Howard back out to the Stark cabin. No one spoke on the flight home. Howard watched the scenery fly by and Morgan curled between her parents, head in Pepper's lap and she was sound asleep shortly after they took off. It was Tony that Pepper was really worried about though. He was quiet, moody, and staring at the phone in his hand like he was thinking about calling someone. Who, she didn't know. He hadn't even told her where he'd disappeared to after the attack yet.

They landed and Pepper's immediate goal was to get their five-year-old upstairs and into bed. She hesitated at the distracted look Tony wore, but Howard waved her off, promising to take care of him until she got back downstairs.

Fifteen minutes, an argument over brushing teeth, and a quick bedtime story as a bargaining tool later, Pepper was making her way back down the stairs. Voices met her, soft and tired.

"I lost it on him." Pepper hesitated on the stairs, listening to her husband's strained voice.

"Sounds like he was about to make a deal with the devil with the way you described it," Howard answered.

"He's not…" She heard Tony's soft, mirthless laugh. "Peter just doesn't know what he's getting into with him. He was trying to help, but he doesn't get that him doing that behind my back… all it's going to do is put a target on him."

"So you were protecting him."

"Doesn't matter. I shouldn't have yelled. I always swore I wouldn't do what..."

"What your old man did?" There was a long pause and Pepper heard a chuckle so similar to the one Tony had just given. "You and me both." There was a deep sigh. "For what my opinion is worth, just watching you with Morgan and with the Parker kid these last couple of weeks… Well, you seem to be doing alright. Hell of a lot better than my father every was and, here's hoping, better than yours."

Pepper's lips tugged at the corners and she made her way down the rest of the stairs and into the living room where the two men sat on the couch, Howard with a glass of scotch in his hand and Tony with a mug of tea. "Hey," she greeted softly, pulling their attention around to her.

Tony's expression softened. "Hey, Pep."

"You about ready for bed?"

"Yeah," he managed, the single word sounding as exhausted as he looked. He turned back to Howard. "Thank you… for everything today. For…. everything."

Howard opened his mouth, grinning like he was about to say something flippant, but it immediately faded into what looked like a real smile. "Night, Tony." He glanced back. "Pepper."

"G'night, Howard," she offered and watched her husband stand unsteadily from his place before moving slowly to the stairs. "You okay?"

"Tired," he admitted softly as they made their way upstairs.

"You gonna tell me what happened or do I need to wait until morning?"

Tony paused at the foot of their bed, and his shoulders sagged. "Fury's been trying to recruit Peter."

Of all the things she might have expected, that wasn't one of them. "He's sixteen."

"Next month, yeah."

"He can't do that."

"I put the breaks on it, but there's no stopping Peter when he makes up his mind. Remember the whole thing with the weapons and the boat?"

"Yeah," she breathed, closing the gap between them. Tony hadn't turned and she wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades and steeling herself for the answer to the question she didn't want to ask. "What are you doing about it?"

"Fury doesn't want him, or at least not just him."

"He wants you. Tony… Today proved you can't. He had to have seen it."

"He did. He's not asking me to suit up."

"Then what's he asking you to do?"

His hands found hers and he held on tight. "Bring the Avengers back together. Fund them, equip them. Take a, uh… non-combative role. Guy in the chair is what Peter would call it," he chuckled thinly.

"That's what you were trying to do when you signed the Accords. It didn't work out that way."

"I know."

She squeezed his hands and let go of him long enough to circle around and look him in the eyes. "Did you give Fury your answer?"

"I told him I needed to talk with you."

"Smart man."

"I've been told I have my moments. It bought me some time."

"That's something." She leaned in, her lips brushing his and she felt his hands settle on her hips. "I love you. I'm here if you need to talk it through."

"Pep…"

"It has to be your decision, though. I'll support you whichever way you go."

He squeezed his eyes closed and she thought they looked a little glassy in the dim bedroom light when he reopened them. "I got lucky."

"Boy, didn't you?" she teased, kissing him again. "I'm going to take a shower."

"You want some company?"

"You need to call Peter."

"Pep, it's late."

"Tony, he's a teenager. He's still awake. Don't let him go to sleep thinking you're angry at him." She turned before he could argue again and started into the bedroom. She didn't need to look back to know he was hitting the speed dial.

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: Do you ever write a story and manage to kick yourself in your own feels? Yeah... I've got a thing for strained father-son relationships and breakthrough moments on those. This chapter was a lot of fun to write :D

So, there are going to be some lighter moments mixed in with the next chapter in the form of a movie night. I would love recommendations for what they should all watch. Movies and TV show recommendations welcomed XD


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen **

He had swung wildly from frustration to anger, around again, and had settled into a sad kind of guilt. It wasn't the first time Mr Stark had laid into him over a screw up, but Peter still wasn't entirely sure he'd actually screwed up. The situation sucked. It wasn't that he trusted Director Fury, per se, but the man had a point. One that had been broadcasted all across the expo. And Mr Stark had reacted just like Peter had been afraid he would, both by jumping into the fray and how doing so had hit him hard. He couldn't shake the image of how exhausted he'd looked, like the suit had taken a toll on him in just the handful of minutes he'd worn it.

And now he was striking some deal with Fury and Peter had been sent home like a child. His own suit hijacked to make sure it happened. He ought to find a way to bypass that stupid gps tracker again. Mr Stark had probably upgraded it with the newest suit, but still. He'd give Ned a call. He could help him find it and deactivate it.

His phone buzzed loudly from his desk and Peter offered it a glare like that would do anything. It flashed, a hologram popping up and showing the caller as none other than the focal point of the teen's frustration. And the designer of the phone, but if Mr Stark thought that haranguing him into taking a Stark Phone entitled him to an answered call, well… he had another thing coming. Peter wasn't going anywhere near it just to get yelled at again. No way he was going to -

"_Voicemail being left by Tony Stark_," Karen's voice echoed into his room.

"_You know, it wouldn't take much to bypass your settings on this thing and just activate the answering protocol_," Mr Stark's voice sounded over the speaker. "_But I guess that would be an invasion of privacy, and… honestly, I probably wouldn't answer if I were in your shoes either_."

Peter wasn't sure if that was a slight or just an acknowledgement, but he offered the phone another glare anyway.

There was a pause and then a long sigh. "I'm sorry, kid. I'm not gonna say you made a good call, but... neither did I." It sounded like those words may have physically hurt and Peter finally perked up. "I shouldn't have yell at you. I -"

Karen had said that the voicemail was _being left_. Currently. That meant it was live. Peter dove across the room for the phone. "Mr Stark?"

There was a beat of silence and he thought maybe he'd misunderstood the AI. "_Hey, kid. Thought I'd missed you_."

"No, I'm uh…. I'm here." Another awkward stretch of silence met him. "You were saying?"

"_Not going to cut me any slack, huh?_"

That tugged the smallest of smiles from him. "No sir."

Mr Stark chuckled thinly and cleared his throat. "_I'm sorry, Peter. Fury twists things around to get what he wants. I shouldn't have yelled at you._"

"I know you think I should've told you, but I just…." He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the truth out into the open. "I was scared of losing you again, Mr Stark. I know you don't remember much. At least you say you don't remember much, but it's…. I can't stop seeing that day. We nearly lost you, and I just… if I could keep that from happening again, I wanted to. I still want to. I want to protect you too. Somebody's gotta protect you."

"_Pete_." His name was soft from the other end of the line, almost like a sigh, and he wished he was sitting there with the older man. "_I can't lose you again either_."

"What'dya mean?"

"_Five years. I went five years with you dead and gone and it was…. Hell, kid. It was hell. I can't do it again_. _Not when I can stop it this time_."

Peter's chest tighten dangerously and he gripped the phone. "It'll kill you. You can't do what he's asking you to do. Mr Stark, you _can't_." His vision blurred. He would not cry. He was nearly sixteen years old. He would _not_ cry.

"_What'dya say we make a deal?_"

"Huh?" the teen managed, the word sounding more like a squeak than an actual response.

"_I'll promise you not to suit up if you promise me you won't make a move with Fury or any version of the Avengers without talking to me first._"

"You won't risk it?"

"_I won't risk it. Not if you won't_."

"What about all of the bad guys that came back? They're out there, Mr Stark. They're out there and I can -"

"_Not alone. We'll figure out, but we'll do it together, okay?_" He snorted a laugh. "_Listen to that. Rogers is finally rubbing off on me_."

"Promise you won't?"

"_Promise_." Mr Stark cleared his throat again. "_And I remember pieces. Only time I've ever heard you call me Tony._"

Peter tilted his head. "When?"

"_When you thought… It's not your fault. Not then, not today, not ever. If I die tomorrow or in fifty years, it's never gonna be your fault. No matter what._"

"Mr Stark -"

"_Tony. C'mon. Pepper gets the first name treatment._"

He started to argue, but swallowed it whole. They'd argued enough. "Okay, Tony."

"_Thatta boy. Get some sleep, kid. We'll figure out how to handle Nick._"

The call ended and Peter took a heavy seat on the floor. They were okay. Mr Stark - Tony - wasn't mad at him. Not really. Scared, angry at someone else, but not mad at him. And maybe he was right. Maybe they had a better chance if they went at it together. That's what Avengers did, wasn't it? They fought together, and in the end the Avengers always won.

* * *

In the last thirteen years since he'd come out of the ice Steve had dreamt about Peggy often. Most of the dreams were soft and gentle, with her pulling him onto the dance floor and the band playing in the background. They moved and they swayed, laughing and smiling as she pressed her ear against his chest, her arms around his neck and his around her waist. He'd lived the life he knew he wanted again and again in those dreams, but had never expected to have another chance at it. Until now, and maybe that's why that night was the first one that he could picture her dressed all in white, red lips tilted up in that subtle smile, and him waiting at the end of the aisle for her. His friends had been at his side, but his eyes had been fixed on her until she reached him, and she had all of him. She always had, even in the moments he'd tried to convince himself that he was capable of moving on.

He'd woken alone in his bed, the apartment quiet around him. Bucky and Sam had found another apartment in the building just a few days before to give them some privacy, and as he made his way out into the living room he found Peggy sitting at the kitchen table, dressed for the day with a paper in front of her. She sipped on her cup of tea as she read, several other papers laid out before her in addition to the one in her hands.

"Has everyone always known that Tony was Iron Man?" she asked, glancing over to where he lingered.

"As long as I've known him. I think there was a press conference."

She snorted. "He is Howard's son."

"Through and through," Steve chuckled, moving to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

"And the media loves him. I never knew so many reporters could speculate on if a single man might come out retirement."

"Honestly, I'm surprised that any of the photos went to press at all. I guess even Tony can't bribe every outlet out there."

"This one's the _Daily Bugle_."

"That should be interesting. The editor there hates Tony almost as much as he hates Spider-Man. Never could figure out what he had against Queens," Steve said as he re-entered the living room, sipping on his coffee. He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on her and the dream he'd woken to hit him like a tidal wave. With everything that was happening, they were still living in a temporary state, their focus on getting Howard back to his own time before they looked to see what was really next. It had made sense, but Steve had thought Tony would have had him back by now, especially with the Pym Particle formula at his disposal. Howard was still there, though, and they might not hear anything for days from them if they were still cleaning up the expo debacle.

"Oh, here's a bit on Rescue with a full write up theorizing who she might be. I'm sure Pepper will _love_ that," Peggy murmured and turned to look at him. The amusement faded. "What?"

Steve hadn't realized he was staring, lost in thought, but her words cut through it. He blinked hard and set his coffee down, motioning for a moment. He didn't wait for a response as he disappeared back into the room, dug down into one of his drawers, and pulled a small box from it. Peggy was watching him from her seat when he returned. "I was going to wait," he said, his voice faltering halfway through.

She stood slowly. "For what?"

He crossed the room, steeling his nerves as best as he could, and he held the box up. Soft brown eyes fixed on it and he popped it open. "For this."

"Steve…."

"It was my mother's. It was one of the few things they had for me when I came out of the ice and I've had it in a lockbox for safekeeping. I got it out when we got back, but with Howard and Tony and everything that's been going on….. Oh." He stopped, dropping down to one knee. "Right. Sorry. I've never done this before." He looked up at her, finding her eyes wide and fixed on him. He'd surprised her, that much was obvious, but he couldn't tell if it was a good or a terrible surprise just yet. She hadn't moved an inch. "Peggy, I meant what I said after we went dancing. I love you. I've always loved you, and I always will. Second chances like this don't happen very often and I can't wait any longer."

Peggy swallowed hard. "You still haven't asked a question," she said a little breathlessly.

"Will you marry me?"

The smile was the same one from his dream, even if with a little less lipstick. Her lips tugged upward and suddenly she was on the floor with him, kneeling down in and her hands closed around his. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes. I think you're supposed to put that on my finger, or has that changed in the last eighty years?"

A laugh escaped him at the tease and trembling fingers pulled his mother's ring from the box to fit it on Peggy's. He leaned in, his forehead pressed against hers. "What'dya know? Fits like it was made for you."

Peggy's hands moved so that her fingertips touched his jaw and she guided him into the kiss, his own hand moving to the side of her face. They melted into the kiss, both kneeling on the floor together, and Steve did his best not to groan as his phone started screaming an obnoxious song that he was certain he'd never chosen as a ringtone.

"What is that?" Peggy laughed, not quite breaking the kiss.

"My phone."

"And that noise?"

"Something Tony thinks is music. He likes to change my ringtone when I'm not looking. Still not sure if he actually needs to have his hands on the phone or if he can do it from anywhere."

"Should you get it?"

"He can wait."

* * *

"Mr Star - _Tony_, you have a lot of movies!" Peter called from the living room as Tony made his way down the stairs. He found the teen perched on the back of his couch, Rhodey standing behind him to look at the selection on the tablet and Maria Hill was the only one using the couch as it was intended. Tony still wasn't sure how he felt about his best friend dating the SHIELD spook who had continuously proven to be loyal to Fury above anybody else, but it hadn't taken Rhodey long to drop a not-so-subtle hint that it was none of Tony's business who he dated or what they had or had not discussed about what had happened a couple days before at the expo.

So he had told Rhodey offhandedly to bring Hill with him to the movie night that he'd gotten suckered into - Tony was still trying to figure out who had sparked the original idea and how it had ended up at their place - and there they were. Fury was going to have a detailed layout of all of his home security within an hour of her leaving. Fantastic.

"You okay there, Stark?" Hill asked, dragging him from his thoughts.

"Oh, that's just Tony struggling to keep his mouth shut," Rhodey popped off.

"Not at all," Tony answered lightly, reaching forward and plucking the tablet from Peter's hands, ignoring the yelp of indignation from the teen. He waved it in his friend's face. "You had one job: don't let the kid near the movies."

"I already picked the movie," Rhodey groused, scowling a little.

"Yeah, this really, really old one," Pete chimed in. "Back to the Future."

Tony glared, motioning with the tablet. "And now you have no job."

"With you giving me the parameters you did, I think I picked a pretty good one. You wanted something everyone could watch. It won't spoil too much for your dad, and even Morgan should be able to watch it without too much trouble."

If Tony was desperate trying to avoid his discomfort with Rhodey's dating situation, he knew his buddy was trying to avoid digging too deeply into the Howard thing, so he let all that was wrong with that statement slide and focused on the Morgan aspect of it. "Oh no. I'm not subjecting my kid to shoddy science and warped time travel logic."

"It's just a movie, Mr Stark," Peter tried hesitantly.

Rhodey rolled his eyes. "Don't try, Parker. He's been complaining about this since the movie was out in theaters."

Tony held a hand up. "I swear kid, if you make an age crack…."

Peter flashed an innocent grin and Tony tilted him back so he flopped into the couch with a laugh, nearly landing on Hill. It was good, despite the potential spy in their midst and the terrible movie choice that he knew he couldn't talk Rhodey out of. A night in and away from the chaos, away from the multitude of problems and worries that surrounded them, was already doing him good. Peter had been quick to forgive. Probably quicker than Tony deserved, but having him there helped the older man believe it.

"So what's the flick?" Howard asked as he strode into the room.

"Something terrible," Tony groaned and Rhodey took a playful swipe at him.

"Did you ever get ahold of Steve and Peggy?" Pepper called from the other room. She entered with a tray full of snacks and Morgan running around like she'd found something loaded with sugar to hype herself up on.

Despite the very real irritation over the movie, Tony felt his lips quirk up and he caught her as she came flying by. Morgan let out a squealing laugh as her father used her momentum to hoist her into the air and back down again, feeling the strain in his right arm from it. It was worth it for the laugh though.

She turned, arms raised. "Again, Daddy!"

"You're getting too big for that," he chuckled, but she didn't buy it for an instant.

"I wanna fly!"

"Maybe after the movie I can take you swinging?" Peter offered.

"As in web swinging?"

Peter looked like a deer in the headlights at Pepper's tone. "Yeah….?"

Tony had his hands up before she turned that look on him. "What part of any way that we've raised our kid makes you think I'm okay that?"

"I'll take that as a no then," Peter managed, drawing Pepper's attention back over.

"Smart choice. Any word on Steve?"

"Apparently being engaged means they're gonna be late for everything. They should be here any minute." Tony glanced over as Howard took a seat next to Hill, all the charm he could muster in that smile of his.

"So, Agent Hill, what agency did you say you worked for?"

"No."

Howard looked over to him, apparently startled by his would-be son's sharp answer to a question that hadn't been directed at him. "I just —"

"No."

Hill flashed him a smile of her own. "That's classified for you, Mr Stark."

"Just for me?"

"Since you're going back, just for you," she answered, almost cheekily, and Tony had to remind himself he didn't trust her no matter how amusing she was.

A distraction came just in time in the form of Steve and Peggy's arrival. They joined the mostly entertaining chaos easily enough, Steve admitting that he hadn't gotten to Back to the Future in the long list of movies he was still catching up on.

"Don't listen to Tony. It's a classic," Rhodey assured him.

Cap shot him a questioning look and Tony sighed dramatically. "FRIDAY, play the movie. The sooner we start it, the sooner it's over."

* * *

Howard was sure the movie would have been funnier if he knew what the 1950's were going to be like. Or maybe even the 80's. Instead he found himself at a loss on all fronts, which was the type of unfamiliar territory he hated the most. He tried to tune into the small conversations going on around him: Pepper asking Cap about a wedding date, Maria Hill taking the first chance she could to snag a conversation with Peggy. Apparently Peg was her hero. An inspiration and why she'd taken the path she had. Howard had watched her expression turn strained at that, thanking her tightly.

Midway through he watched Tony slip away quietly and decided to follow. He found him in the kitchen, grabbing water from the fridge. "Give it a decade or two and that'll be hilarious," he muttered, pulling his son's attention around.

"Maybe. I can count the number of movies I saw you watch over the years on one hand, and none of them were comedies."

"Huh. Funny. I was thinking about trying my hand at the whole Hollywood thing someday."

Tony cracked a smile at that. "If you did, it was your best kept secret from me."

"Sounds like there was plenty I kept from you. Maybe this time'll be different."

"I'll never know."

There was a sadness in his voice and Howard cleared his throat awkwardly, rounding the island in the middle. "Guess you must be pretty close, huh?"

"I only need one more thing to finish."

"What's that?"

"To synthesise it."

"So it's done?" Howard asked, the realization hitting hard. This might be his last day here. His last evening. In a flash he would be thrown back to 1946 with the rest of them there in 2024. His son and his family, Steve and Peg, and everyone….

"It's been done for days."

That slammed his thought process to a stop and he blinked hard. "What?"

"I've been putting it off," Tony confesses softly.

"You were the one pushing for me to go back."

Tony loosed a long breath. "I know. I should want you to go. You don't…. you've got a whole life to live. It's just…" He tried for a smile and failed at it. "Every time I think I know you, that I've made peace with who you are, I find out something else. I wanna keep getting to know you. I want you to stay."

"I can't," Howard said, the words riding out in a breath.

"I know. I know, I—"

"I don't think you do." He met a set of brown eyes that looked a great deal like his own. Another version of himself hadn't known how to say it, and even as Howard tried to form the words in his own mind they didn't sound right. A small part of him could almost hear his own father berating him over weakness, but Tony needed to hear it. It might not fix everything, but it was something true that he could give his son. "I'm selfish. You probably know that, huh? I get what I want one way or the other, even if it means tricking two people I respect the most into bringing me to the future." Tony chuckled at that and Howard gave him a lopsided smile. "I wanna see it all. Between there and here."

"There's a lot to see," Tony said softly.

"With you, I mean. I wanna see you grow up and become the man that I've met. Brilliant and a hell of a lot braver than I could ever be. I don't want to miss a second of it."

Pain flashed through those dark eyes. "You're not proud of me."

"Sure I am. And if I wasn't, I was an idiot."

There was a moment of silence, like the world had stopped and Howard wondered if his attempt had fallen short, but then Tony reached forward and dragged him into sudden hug. "I'm gonna miss you, Dad."

Howard wrapped his arms around him, holding tight. It was a long moment before trusted his voice, and even when he did it quivered. "How long we got?"

"Two days. It'll take FRIDAY two days to synthesize it."

"Guess we better make the most of it."

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: Well, this one took longer than I expected. The Steve and Peggy scene was started and scrapped at least 6-7 times. I switched POV's, I adjusted content, and then I finally did a total shift of focus for the scene and there we have it. Steve proposed! :D You know, one of the things I love about him is that no matter what happens, no matter what he goes through, he's still that kid from Brooklyn in so many ways.

I think the other reason this chapter was so hard to write is because I'm kind of with Tony here: the moment he has those Pym Particles he has to send his dad back, and that's getting harder and harder with each chapter. But hey. I finally got to the scene where Tony calls Howard "dad", so I'm going to just float in my feels over here for a bit and ignore the fact that this story is winding down.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Peggy toyed with the ring on her left hand as she made her way out to Tony Stark's workshop. An Irish woman's voice - a computer system, she had been told - announced her presence the moment she crossed the threshold and into the space.

"Back here, Peg!" Howard shouted from much further in.

In true Stark fashion, the workshop was huge and filled with gadgets of all shapes and sizes. There were notes on some, small slips of colourful paper stuck to the inventions and a few seemed to be a very vivid reminder that Howard wasn't allowed near them. Peggy found herself chuckling at that as she wound around and found both Stark men bent over the engine of a t-bird. "You boys look like you're having fun."

Howard popped up at the sound of her voice, covered in motor oil and grinning like a loon. "You didn't mention you were coming out today, Peg. Finally figure out you're gonna miss me when I'm gone?"

Tony snorted a laugh, still half buried in the engine.

"That was never in question," Peggy answered softly. "And there's no we two today. Just me."

"Cap let you drive his truck?" Tony asked as he finally surfaced, wiping at stained fingers.

"Oh no. He's apparently still sharing that with Mr Wilson and Sergeant Barnes. His bike's not too unlike the ones from our time though."

"You drove his motorcycle all the way out here?" Tony asked, and she wasn't sure if he sounded impressed or horrified. "I could have sent a car or the chopper if you—"

"There was no need. I needed the time to think."

She didn't miss the way Howard's gaze locked in her, those clever brown eyes searching out answers. She smiled sweetly at him, effectively shutting him out of her thought process. The difference between Howard and most other men was that he knew exactly what she was doing while others might have just seen a pretty smile they didn't bother to try and look past. She watched him purse his lips, thinking his words over before his jaw dropped to speak, but she beat him to it. "Are these your suits?" she asked her friend's son, motioning to the collection at the far side of the room. "They look much smaller here than they did on display at the expo."

"Lifesize," Tony answered and moved to join her as she made her way over to them. "The fit has to be pretty snug or you'd rattle around inside with every blow."

"Would have, isn't it?"

He pushed a long breath out through his nose, one dark eyebrow lifting. "Exactly what were you here for, Peggy?"

"I was curious if you'd begun creating the serum needed to send Howard back yet."

"Scratch that. Apparently you can't wait to get rid of me," her friend popped off from his place leaning against the car and drinking that awful looking green goop she had seen Tony drink before.

Tony shot Howard a withering look before turning back to her again. "Yeah. It started last night. We have about thirty-six hours left to it."

She steeled herself. "Would it cause too much trouble to add more to it?"

"More what?"

"Particles."

"You second guessing things, Peggy?" Howard asked, his voice strangely distraught in the question. "You just got him back. Everything you wanted. You —"

"Not everything is about getting what we want, Howard," she snapped, her tone icier than she'd meant for it to be. A twinge of guilt tightened her chest as she saw him flinch back at it like she'd physically struck him.

"I know it's not," he said with soft conviction and she saw him glance towards the son he had managed to start building a relationship with and that he would soon have to leave.

Peggy's lips parted to try to ease the sting of the statement, but Tony's computer cut her off. "_Boss, you've got a… vis...i….tor…._"

Tony was immediately on alert with the way that the voice wound down and cut out and Peggy followed to where his gaze snapped to the door. A tall man filled it, broad and intimidating with his dark expression and patched eye. Peggy had seen him very briefly and at a great distance when SHIELD had arrived at the expo. She hadn't gotten a name, but he worked for them. For the organization she was supposed to help Howard form.

"Fury. What the hell are you doing here?" Tony asked tightly.

"I'm here for your answer," the older man said, his voice gravelly and dangerous as he strode into the space like he wasn't trespassing.

"I told you I'd get back to you on it. It's a big call. Pep and I need time to —"

"Cut the bullshit, Stark." He stopped, glancing past Tony to Howard who looked ready to jump into the fray if the situation arose. What he hoped to do was another matter entirely, but the determination was there. Fury's single eye focused on Tony again. "You knew your answer at the expo. Now I need it."

"It's not just my call. I need time —"

"We don't have time. I told Parker and I told you that the day would come when the ones we haven't been able to find would pose a threat. The day is here." He handed Tony a thin slab of what looked like plastic. A tablet, Peggy realized. A flat computer capable of holding a tremendous amount of data.

Tony took it and she couldn't make the images out from where she stood. He could though, that much was obvious by the way he paled. He slid his finger across the screen as he read, worry deepening the lines in his face as he did. "He's dead. Coulson said you recovered the body."

"Coulson told you what you needed to hear."

"He lied to me and now he's on the loose," Tony snarled, his expression darkening and sharpening as his gaze snapped to meet Fury's. "And now you want me to clean up your mess."

"It is what it is, Stark. You don't have to clean it up, but if you don't put a team together, I will, and you know my first choice."

"Stay the hell away from the kid."

"Then you'll put one together?"

"Don't really have a choice, so I?"

"Everyone's got a choice. You just have to decide where your line is." He nodded at Howard. "Howard -" then at Peggy - "Ms Carter -" before turning on heel and leaving them alone with a seething Tony Stark.

"Who the hell does he think he is?" Howard demanded.

"Nick Fury. Director of SHIELD," the man's son answered tightly.

"Is the threat real?" Peggy asked, hoping to pull him off whatever emotional ride he was on.

"Yes."

"Then we'll do whatever we can to help you. Why don't I go call Steve and we can start forming a plan?"

Tony blinked, looking startled by that. "This isn't your fight, Peggy."

"It is now."

"We're with you, kid," Howard offered. "Anything you need."

Tony looked between them both and drew a slightly unsteady breath. "Okay. Call Cap. We've gotta move fast."

* * *

He had wondered when Tony's conversation with Nick Fury would come into play. Steve didn't know the details of the "deal" the SHIELD director had put on the table, only that he hadn't been approached for it and Tony wasn't happy. From the sounds of it, Fury wasn't going to give Tony time to find a way to wriggle free and enjoy his retirement that he'd earned. Hell, that they had all earned after the battles with Thanos.

The call from Peggy had been limited, but Steve hadn't wasted any time getting out to the Stark cabin. Retired or not, no Avenger left another to face the fight alone. Nat had been right. They were a family. Bizarre and squabbling half the time, but a family nonetheless.

He found it busy when he got there, Tony on the phone, Pepper and Peggy speaking lowly with each other in a somewhat conspiratorial manner, and Howard was perched on the arm of the couch with a tablet in hand. Steve's old friend looked up as he entered. "You made good time."

"It's important. What's going on?"

Howard loosed a long breath, shoulders sagging a little as he did. "Man showed up and overrode Tony's computer system."

"Fury. Peggy mentioned he dropped by. He has a habit of doing that."

The dark haired man nodded. "He wants Tony to put together some sort of team to get this guy."

Steve reached forward and took the tablet. There was a lot of information, but large portions of it had been redacted. One name, a code name for the villain, was clear: Iron Monger. It was accompanied by what looked like a suit of armor copied from one of Tony's early designs. "So SHIELD wants us to go after this guy on limited information. Great."

"Tony did that," Howard said, his voice tight. "Apparently it's someone he knew and someone I'm going to know."

Blond brows drew together. He knew the name, but he couldn't place it. It must have been someone from before he came out of the ice and that affected Tony's path in a way that he didn't want Howard messing with. Nothing was ever simple around them.

"Great. Happy'll get them all set up at HQ in midtown. Anything they need moved I'll have a team transport over." Tony ended the call and looked over. "Hey Cap. You made better time than I expected."

"Everyone keeps saying that," Steve huffed. "I don't drive that slow."

"Compared to other hundred-year-old men or...?" He flashed a grin, knowing full well how irritating he was sometimes.

"I'm sorry, Tony. Did you want my help?"

"I told him what was going on," Peggy said from her place.

"So who's this Iron Monger?"

Tony's grin finally lapsed. "A threat. One that they told me was dead, but apparently just hidden away in some SHIELD bunker somewhere until the Snap."

"And when everyone was brought back…"

"Exactly."

"So why didn't Fury come to me directly? Out of the two of us, I can still fight."

"Not everything's about brawn, Cap," Tony said with an exaggerated cheer. "Some of us are brought in for our minds."

"And?"

The dark haired man feigned insult before shrugging. "And he thinks you're distracted these days. I know that if you're on board, you're onboard all the way."

"What exactly would I be getting onboard for?"

"The Avengers."

"Tony -"

"His methods leave a great deal to be desired, but Director Fury isn't wrong when he says we're facing a threat," Peggy said as she made her way over to Tony's holotable and motioned. "Here?"

"And flip it up," he instructed.

Peggy did so and Steve watched multiple files spring into existence. He stared, hating what he knew they meant.

"Fury sent these over right after he left to make his point," Tony said softly. "A team is coming together to handle the Iron Monger threat, and if it works out, we'll make it permanent. You can say no, and you'd have every right. I can do this without you, Cap, but I'd prefer not to."

Steve glanced back at Pepper who was sitting very quietly at the table. "And you're okay with this?"

The ginger woman purses her lips together as if she were weighing each word before letting it go. "Fury put us in a difficult position by dragging Peter into it. At least this way Tony can have his back from behind the scenes." She gave him a pointed look and Steve could feel the unspoken words.

"And I'll have his," he promised, risking a glance over to Howard, the promise he'd made some nights before to protect his son and do what he could to keep Tony out of trouble pushing its way to the front of his mind. He let his gaze slip back around to the Stark he'd fought beside more recently. "Who all are we thinking?"

"Well, I can't suit up. The expo proved that, and there's only so much I can do from behind the scenes when the fighting breaks out. Would your buddy Falcon be down for it?"

"I bet I could convince him. Bucky too."

Tony groaned loudly, but waved it off. "Rhodey'll be onboard."

"What about Parker? I know you didn't want him working directly for Fury, but-"

"Honestly, I don't want the kid anywhere near Fury if I can help it."

Steve caught his friend's darting gaze and held it. "He's part of this, if you want him to be or not."

"Kid's sixteen, Rogers."

"You should have thought about that before you recruited him."

Tony looked like he wanted to argue, but instead his shoulders sagged and he held his hands up, palms outward in surrender. "Toché."

"And the kid's good," Howard offered from his place. "Both in a fight and in the lab."

"Hey." Steve waited for Tony to look over to him again and he did his best to keep his voice even. The last thing he wanted at this moment was to jump off on the wrong foot, but Tony was already barreling towards a world of hurt. "Parker went behind your back with Fury. If you go behind his back here, you two are going to get caught in a loop."

He watched the emotions play out on Tony's face and finally the dark haired man sighed. "Fine. I'll call the kid, but we need to move. We don't have a lot of time on this."

* * *

The world had changed a great deal in the last few years. Half the universe had been snapped out of existence by a deranged alien and then snapped back in five years later. In many ways it had helped society heal, but it had also caused problems that an already struggling world couldn't cope with. And those problems fell to them. They fell to him.

If Fury had his way, he'd have let Rogers and Stark have their retirements. Let Captain America settle down with the woman he'd been pining over since he woke up from the ice and let Tony Stark live out the rest of his days in peace with his wife and his child. Maybe even his father pulled out of time, if he changed his mind. If anyone deserved a break, those two did, but the world wasn't having it. Obadiah Stane coming out of the woodworks was proof of that. He'd been useful enough when they had him in a deep, dark cell, but the Snap had changed that. Loose on society he had popped up the day before and taken off with SHIELD weapons that were still untested to their full extent. They could do a lot of damage as it stood. In Stane's hands, he could alter them to level a building in a single shot. He needed to be handled and handled quickly. Tony knew him better than anyone else, and while he couldn't physically go head to head with his former mentor anymore, Fury was confident he could pull together a team that could.

There was a shift in the wheel under his hands and Fury's good eye narrowed as he watched the readouts on his SUV glitch, a sure sign of an override. Which should have been impossible. After the fiasco of Hydra he'd made sure to upgrade everything to tech he trusted.

That was it. He'd upgraded it to Stark Tech. Dammit. He loosed a frustrated breath. Apparently Tony wasn't complying quite as amiably as he'd hoped in the end.

The SUV pulled into the next lane and then the next, just fast enough that if he were somehow able to override the locked doors he would have trouble getting out anyway. Fury reached into the glove compartment for his gun. Just in case it wasn't Stark at the other end of this merry-go-round.

One dark eye watched as the vehicle slowed and he heard the locks pop up. He shoved the driver's door open, finding himself seemingly alone in an alley. He tightened his grip on his sidearm. "Okay, Stark. You've had your fun."

"I'm not here for fun," a crisp, decidedly feminine voice said from behind him and Fury schooled the impressed smirk that threatened to tilt his lips as he turned.

The CEO of Stark Industries looked anything but impressed as she stood in her designer pumps, chin tilted up and shoulders squared to bring herself up to her full height. Those blue eyes of her were ice. "Director Fury, we've never formally met."

"I know who you are, Ms Stark. I'll admit, you're not the one I expected to pull a stunt like that."

"I needed your attention and I didn't have time to jump through all the security you'd put in my way."

"Well now you have it. What can I do for you?"

"We need to have a talk about my husband."

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: I've toyed with the idea that SHIELD saved Stane's life and held him for intel for a while now, but I've been going back and forth on if this was the story I wanted to introduce the idea into. I've been dragging my feet a little on this chapter because I had to make a choice: to wrap it up and simply send him home (something that just felt too easy for the world that they work in) or lean into one more arc before the close. The more I looked at it, the more Obadiah just made sense with his connection to Howard and the fact that it's going to dredge up a number of painful memories for Tony that many of the main cast of this story don't know a great deal about. Also, it finally gave me the scene I've been wanting to write between Pepper and Fury since the expo XD

I'm really looking forward to these last few chapters.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Nick Fury looked more amused than worried, but Pepper Potts-Stark stood her ground. She'd fought against bureaucrats and super villains alike. The director of SHIELD might have intimidated others, but he'd never see her flinch. Not with so much on the line.

"You must be taller than him in those heels," Fury said, his tone casual as he nodded at her. "What? By a couple of inches at least."

"I don't see how that's relevant," she answered sharply.

"You said you wanted to discuss your husband."

It was everything Pepper could do not to sigh and roll her eyes at that. "You came out to our home uninvited and unwelcome to drag Tony back into the fray after he'd made it clear he had no intention of coming back. It was bad enough when you tried to use the kid to manipulate him, but Obadiah Stane? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

She watched his expression darken just a little and she thought he might be adjusting his expectations. "There's a hard truth that some people have trouble swallowing, Ms Stark: there will always be a threat. I learned that when the Kree nearly came crashing into our planet in the 90's looking for the Tesseract. From the conversations I've had with your husband over the years, I'd wager his realization hit during the Battle of New York. Funny how alien races put into perspective how small and vulnerable we are here on earth."

"I'm well aware what kind of threat they pose, Director Fury. I fought with Tony in the last battle against Thanos. Funny thing, I didn't see you there."

"I was doing my job from a different angle and I've been cleaning up the mess long after everyone else went home."

"Then do your job and be done with it."

"I wish I could," he said softly, and while she'd never let it show, Pepper thought he sounded sincere over it. "The problem is, there's always going to be a next time. It may not be on scale with Thanos or it might make him look like a pushover. All we know is there will always be a threat, and to counter that threat the world needs the Avengers."

"Maybe, but that doesn't have to be Tony."

"For this one it did. He knows Stane in ways we never could. For the rest…. don't fool yourself. Bringing Mr Parker in gave Tony a nudge in the direction I'd prefer, but I've never known a Stark to do anything other than exactly what they want to do. My guess is that's why Howard was in your garage this morning. He couldn't have been a day over thirty, but here he is in 2024." Pepper's jaw tightened at the remark, and Fury shrugged, the movement casual again. "If Tony really does want to go back to your little lakeside cabin and play house, then that's his choice. Same with Cap and Peggy Carter, but I want you to think long and hard about the man you married. You run his company, that little girl of yours will be in school soon, and do you think he'll be content at home in his garage? I'm not asking him to go out and put his life on the line, just help make sure that those that do can come home at the end of the day." He paused, that single eye holding her gaze. "So to answer your question, yes. I know exactly what I've done. I've given him a chance to keep doing something that'll matter to more than just him and that little family the two of you have built."

Pepper drew in a steadying breath, blue eyes searching for any sign that he wasn't being straight with her. Any sign that he was going to turn it all on its head. She had enough to worry about with Tony and his tendency to feel like he owed everyone more than he might be capable of giving, of fixing some sort of wrong that even he couldn't pinpoint some days. She couldn't risk Fury double-crossing them in any way. She'd nearly lost him in the battle with Thanos. She refused to lose him because of this.

Finally she nodded. "Okay," she said softly, accepting his words.

He offered a small smile. A victory in his mind, no doubt. "Okay."

"Director," she called out as he turned back to his vehicle. "I'm taking you at your word, for what that's worth, but I want to give you mine too. If Tony's hurt in any way - and I do mean any way - you're the one I'll make answer for it."

She didn't wait for a response, but turned, feeling his gaze follow her as long as it could before she turned out of the alley.

* * *

He had shuffled some of his own employees out of a building that they used for overflow - ready that specialized - R&D work. He hated to disrupt their work, but they were on a tight timetable and he needed a location that wouldn't require a complete security overhaul to get them to a place where they could go after Stane. He'd sent the SI employees packing to HQ and told Happy to get them situated in his own labs on the top floor. They had left him with pieces of technology behind, odds and ends when it came to equipment, and a fair amount of work just to get them to the point where they weren't flying blind.

Well, Tony was nothing if not determined, and they were miles ahead of where they would have been in pretty much any other location, so he'd count the wins where he could get them.

Steve, Peggy, Rhodey, Wilson, Barnes, and Pete all had more of the full story on Obadiah than Tony had thought he'd ever tell another living soul, much less anyone in that line up. Thankfully they hadn't dwelled on the personal aspect of it all - Peggy had even gently redirected Peter when he started asking questions - and had jumped into research using both SHIELD resources and information Tony was able to pull with the servers he had up and running in their new base of operation. It had been enough that Cap had been itching to get out and start a search of his own. The man had never liked to wait on Tony's intel to come in. He preferred to get his own, and apparently Barnes and Peggy were right there with him on it. Sam Wilson and Rhodey were taking a different angle through military resources that they both still had, and Peter was complaining almost as loudly as Howard that he'd been left behind with Tony to keep sifting through the boxes of information that Fury had sent over through Hill. They were both turning out to be very useful when it came to the intermittent help that Tony needed to set up their equipment.

"You're not gonna break anything by telling me if I know him or if I'm just gonna know him," Howard pressed, his tone as frustrated as Tony felt rolled up under one of the older mainframe computers to finish the rewiring so that it could host FRIDAY throughout the structure.

"I just need you to trust me that you can't know."

"Am I gonna know why someday?"

"If I say yes will you hand me the - _dammit_!" Tony yelped as the tool in his hand slipped and sliced into his scarred thumb. "Shit," he swore again, scooting out from under the poorly lit space to examine the damage. It didn't help that his fingers were stiffening up, working them too long and too hard to expect the same level of dexterity that he'd had in all the other years of his life.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Golden," Tony grumbled, sticking the injured appendage in his mouth to suck at the blood. It wasn't bad, but it added onto the frustration he was already feeling. Any sane person might take a break, grab a cup of coffee, but he just kept barreling forward. This was the reward he got, apparently.

"Maybe I can take a look? The circuitry's more modern than I'm used to, I'll admit, but you can walk me through it. It'd give you a break."

Howard was trying to help, but Tony felt his temper flare at it. "I don't need a break," he groused.

"Sure you don't."

Tony pushed a sharp breath out through his nose, ready to throw himself back into what he'd been doing when the sound of a voice caught his attention.

"And then I was like 'hey, Mister, that's not your computer!' and he was like 'how do you know?' and I was like 'because Mr Lopez closes at seven every night, so no way you're walking out of there at nine at night with a laptop that's yours!' And then he ran."

Dark brows drew together. "Who the hell is he talking to?"

Howard shrugged and reached down to offer Tony a hand up when he was already halfway to his feet. He mumbled a quick thanks, but choked out a laugh at the site of Peter rounding into the room. The kid was bouncing with every step, already on to a new story about one of his nightly adventures as Queens' very own neighborhood superhero, and next to him walked a very confused Clint Barton, very inch of his expression showing that he was questioning whatever life choices had brought him to that very moment.

"Oh hey, Mr Stark. Mr Stark_s_, sirs," Peter chirped. "Look who I found! Wasn't he in the fight against Thanos? And maybe in Germany too? I think… yeah! You're the one with the arrows!"

Clint turned a sharp look towards Tony. "You have got to cut this kid's caffeine off. One more cup and he's going to start rocketing off the walls."

"I can! Well, bounce really. Because I stick to them! You want to see?"

Another laugh escaped, Tony's earlier frustration forgotten in light of the fantastic scene playing out in front of him. "Hiya, Clint," he drawled. "I see you've officially met Pete."

The archer loosed a long breath. "Does he ever stop?"

"We haven't found the off switch yet."

There was a glint of mischief in his eyes. "You just gotta get creative, Stark."

"No giving the kid a concussion," Tony warned and saw Clint make a show of his shoulders sagging.

"Oh, c'mon. Who said anything about hitting him to knock him out? I have arrows designed to release a chloroform-based gas that'd put him on his ass in twenty seconds or less."

Peter blinked hard. "Wait… what?"

"Nothing," Tony said, waving him off. "Pete, why don't you help Howard finish up here? Blue wire into the outlet and the put the paneling back on." He caught Howard's gaze and held it. "Just that."

Howard raised his hands and grinned. "I promise not to upgrade your systems."

"Yeah, your upgrades would put me back to the 70's," Tony grumbled and motioned for Clint to walk with him.

"Who's that?" his former teammate asked with amusement lining his voice.

"Uh... My dad. From 1946."

"Huh?"

"Cap took a detour."

"Hell of a detour."

"You're telling me."

"Did he mean to… I mean, _why_?"

"He didn't mean to bring him. He was trying to bring Peggy Carter forward and Howard hitched a ride. We're getting him back to his timeline."

"I'll be damned. Cap screwed up a timeline, didn't he?"

"And don't think I'll ever let him forget it," Tony answered with a devilish grin. It eased just a little as he turned to look at the man that he thought he could probably consider a friend. Ish. Maybe. It was hard to say after Berlin, but at the verify least he knew they weren't enemies these days. "Whatcha doin' here, Clint?"

The younger man shifted almost awkwardly and his gaze swept the hall that they stood in. "I heard you were putting a team together."

"News travels fast."

"Through some channels. Should I be offended you didn't call?"

"You've got a family."

"So do you."

"Yeah, well, Fury didn't seem to care about that." A pair of dark blue eyes focused in on him and Tony sighed. Might as well spill. "He tried to recruit the kid knowing it'd bring me in."

"He must have had a reason."

"He does. He always does. You still haven't answered my question. Last I heard you were retired."

"Oh… I've retired before," he answered with a shrug, "and Laura said if I didn't get out of the house she was going to kick me out. Apparently I've remodeled one room too many. Seemed like good timing." He tilted his head a little and Tony couldn't help but feel like he was being studied. "I saw you on the news at the expo and thought it was just a matter of time. I thought you'd get the itch. You always did have trouble letting it go."

"I found a way."

"And first chance you get to jump back in here you are." Tony's eyes narrowed and Clint lifted his hands in mock surrender. "No judgement. We may save the world, but we're selfish bastards in a lot of ways. We want to protect the people we love. If Fury's dragging you out of retirement, he thinks there's a serious threat. I'm here to help." He paused, like he was considering his next words carefully. "If you'll let me."

"I can't suit up," Tony admitted softly. "Ten minutes in that suit floored me. A real battle would probably kill me, but I can make damn sure you guys are equipped for anything that comes at you and have a set of eyes where you need them."

"So you're gonna trick us out and pay the bills, huh?"

Tony snorted. "Basically."

"You gonna yell at us when we dump coffee beans in the disposal?"

"By _we_, you mean _you_?" Clint flashed him a wide grin and Tony rolled his eyes, shoving a hand out and the blond took it, his grip firm. "It's good to have you back, Barton."

"You too, Tony. It's, uh….." There was a yelp from the room they'd just left, effectively cutting off whatever awkward sentiment Clint was about to attempt. They heard Howard shouting loudly and Peter apologizing profusely. Clint quirked an eyebrow. "I wasn't kidding. You've _got_ to cut that kid's supply off."

"I'm not sure I've ever actually seen him drink coffee," Tony mused.

"Oh hell. That's all natural?"

Tony chuckled, patting the archer on the shoulder before turning to take care of whatever chaos had rained down in the two minutes he'd been gone.

* * *

Data scrolled across the screen, blue eyes following it and taking in the inventory the facility had put together of the stolen weapons. It had been an inside job, one of their own brought back with Banner's snap that had struggled to return to his own duties. Whatever the end reason for it was, he'd partnered with Stane and the group he'd put together to steal the weapons.

"It's chaos since everyone came back. I mean, we handle it better than most, but this facility is one of our outliers. We use contractors to bolster security and, between you and me," the SHIELD agent said lowly, "I don't trust the folks brought back. No clue where they were for five years? How do we know it's really them? Don't get me wrong, you Avengers did what you guys do and you win the day, but I've talked to enough of them. They're not quite right, you know?"

He looked back to Steve like he was expecting some sort of confirmation and received a narrowed, cold look in return from the super soldier.

Bucky cleared his throat. "He would have needed specialized equipment to move those weapons and plenty of help. We're going to need to see the security footage."

"Our people have already started in on that," the agent said, his voice uncertain now.

"Then make a copy," Peggy cut in, her tone as sharp as her eyes. "Unless you'd like to aid and abet Mr Stane in his theft of SHIELD property."

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Peggy Carter."

Steve saw the colour drain from the man's face as he pieces together where he knew the name from. His expression shifted with each new layer of questions he must have been working through, but eventually he settled in a "Yes ma'am," and was off to get them what they needed.

"I thought we were going to keep that under wraps?" Steve murmured.

"I read the situation. He was a stubborn ass that needed a push. If answering to Captain America wasn't going to do it, perhaps answering to the woman that started his organization would." She paused half a beat. "I'm this timeline, anyway."

"She is scarier than you, Steve," Bucky chuckled and he shot his old friend a withering look that only earned him a smirk in response. They both knew he couldn't argue it after what had just played out. Okay. It was fine. Made sense, even. Unlike Howard, Peggy was staying, and she would be part of this team. People would eventually find out.

"Thank you, Sergeant Barnes. I think," Peggy answered, her tone amused. She turned back to Steve. "We'll be able to check the video he provides to information Tony pulls, correct?"

"I've never known him not to be able to find a way in," Steve answered. "You're thinking they may give us a doctored version?"

"I think we need to be ready for the possibility. If they're looking at security breaches, they may not even know how deep they go in this facility."

"This whole thing is messy at best," Bucky said, his gaze flickering back to the screen. "From the way Fury brought Stark in to the fact Fury wanted us looking into it at all. Most organizations don't like airing their dirty laundry, and SHIELD has had its share over the years."

Steve loosed a breath, grateful that Peggy wasn't asking what that dirty laundry might be. Granted, she'd had been here long enough now. She had likely uncovered everything, if she'd mentioned it or not.

"I think that's exactly why Fury wanted a team on it outside of SHIELD," he answered after a moment. "I don't like how he did it, but if you can trust Tony to do anything it's to buck the system."

"Unless he's signing away the Avengers' rights," Bucky muttered and Steve offered his friend a thin smile. The Accords had all but been forgotten by the governments of the world in the wake of the Snap and no one questioned the Avengers motives after giving all to bring everyone back. Tony certainly hadn't been one to push that. Years after everything, Steve could at least acknowledge that the other man had been backed into a corner, or at the very least felt that way, and it had influenced the decisions he'd made. He hadn't been the only one, of course, but it was behind them. Dwelling on it would do nothing to bring this team back together and at that moment they needed to be whole. They needed to be able to trust each other above everything else.

It didn't take much longer for the SHIELD agent to return with their thumb drive with the security footage. He gave them the rundown on the security for it and Steve filed it away to relay once they got back into Manhattan. Assuming Tony needed any instruction for it.

They were escorted out and the blond soldier couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Bucky felt it too with the way he was deadeying one of their escorts, the man determined not to look at him. They made it to the truck without incident though, and once they passed the secure gate to exit Steve found himself finally loosing a breath.

"He worked with Hydra," Bucky said from the back seat.

"The guard?"

"Yeah. He was on an op I ran as the Winter Soldier. It's why he wouldn't look at me."

"I thought Hydra was gone?" Peggy said.

"That doesn't mean he didn't just move over to someone else." Bucky's tone was cold, dangerous. He was still ready for a fight.

"Did you happen to get a photo?"

"Of course." He could almost hear the smirk in Bucky's voice.

Steve hit a button on the wheel. "Call Tony," he instructed and the computer acknowledged it was dialing Tony Stark.

Three rings in he thought maybe he was too deep into a computer to hear it, but the line connected. "_Hey Cap. How'd it go?_"

"Where are we on getting everything connected to your systems? We have some footage they gave us we want to check against any other database we can get ahold of."

"_Geez, Cap, it's like you don't trust these guys_. _I mean, not that they've ever given us reason not to," _Tony chuckled from the other end. "_Yeah, we're just about set here. FRIDAY's uploading as we speak."_

"Good. Bucky's texting a photo too. Might be another lead."

"_Send me what you've got and I'll work my magic. Good news. Got another set of eyes for you._"

"Set of eyes?"

"_I'd say boots on the ground, but you know what retirement does to some — Ouch_!" There was a thud that accompanied the shout, like someone had pegged him in the head with something.

Steve massaged the bridge of his nose. "Now's really not the time for your half- thoughts, Tony," he grumbled, replacing his hand against the wheel.

"_Barton popped back up,_" came the surprisingly clear answer.

"Oh yeah? What's he —?"

"Steve!" Peggy cried out and he barely had a chance to look to his left before the vehicle plowed into them at full speed.

* * *

TBC

Notes: For as difficult as this chapter was at certain spots, I'm really happy with the way it came out. Between Pep and Fury, Clint showing up, and the ending, that was a wild ride once I figured out what was happening XD


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

He heard the shout and what sounded like a crash before the line cut. Tony sat up in the chair he'd claimed, feet dropping from where they had been propped up on the table, and he used the momentum to rock forward so that he was standing. "Shit."

"What happened?" Howard asked from where he and Peter were working on a project he'd given them to keep them busy.

"Cap's in trouble. Where'd Clint get off to?"

"I'll find him!" Peter volunteered, darting down the hall.

Tony moved to the laptop showing FRIDAY's upload progress. Dammit. He started reaching out to Stark Industry servers that he hadn't really intended on using, but sometimes things just didn't pan out the way he planned.

"You have access to satellites that can track his phone, yeah?" Howard asked and Tony shot him a skeptical look.

"I know you were miles ahead of a lot of people in your day, but the first satellite wasn't until the mid-fifties. How -?"

Howard shrugged. "Guess you guys stopped watching every word you said around me. I'm a quick study. So?"

Tony huffed, not bothering to argue with him on it. "Yeah, I'm accessing SI servers now to be able to track Cap's phone." He glanced back as Peter returned with Clint. "How quick you ready to jump in, Barton?"

"If you've got transportation, I'm good to go. I caught a cab in from the airport."

Tony swallowed the question on how he'd managed to get is gear through airport security. Questions like that were better saved for later when their newly reforming team wasn't in trouble. Or, you know, not at all for plausible deniability.

His laptop beeped at him and a few keystrokes later he had Cap's location. "He's not too far out of town. Sending you the coordinates. I'll get in touch with Rhodey and Wilson to see if they're able to meet you there."

"Can I drive?" Peter asked, the direction aimed at Barton. "I passed my driver's test and everything! Mr Stark loaned me one of his cars and —"

"Geez, kid. How old _are_ you?" Clint demanded, shooting Tony a look that he promptly ignored.

Instead he pulled out his phone and typed in a code. "Chopper should be waiting at the top of the building by the time you get up to the helipad. I swear, if there's one scratch, Barton…"

The archer flashed him a grin. "Do my best. I assume you've got a suit, kid?"

Peter straightened at the question. "Me? Right! Yeah, yeah definitely. I'm ready to go! Wow, first mission out with the Avengers in _forever_! This is gonna be great! ated, but maybe you can walk me through—"

Tony was already pulling up air traffic control. "I'll make sure the skies are clear for you. And Clint..." He glanced at Peter who was already halfway out the door.

"I'll bring him back in one piece too," Barton promised and then they were gone, out the door and on the mission, leaving Tony and Howard behind with only the sound of the computers running to fill the silence.

* * *

There was nothing quite like coming to in the middle of a full blown battle. Peggy Carter found herself strapped into her seat, the truck laid over on her side and Steve calling her name. She grumbled a response, everything still a little fuzzy, and forced the lock free so that she could follow him out of the shattered windshield.

They'd been hit by a truck just a little larger than their own. It was armored and had sustained much less damage than their vehicle had in the collision. Alright then. There'd be no flight today. That left fight.

Peggy pulled her pistol from her purse. Tony had taken a look at the gun before they had left out and had replaced the rounds that she had with what he had called an upgrade that he'd told her he had designed for his company's own security personnel. They had had some colourful attempts at robberies over the years, he had explained, so while they may not design weapons for the government anymore, he made sure his people were safe on the job. As the first round impacted, piercing the flap jacket the man appeared to be wearing, Peggy thought that must extend to the team he now found himself responsible for.

There was a cry to her right and she risked a look over to see Sergeant Barnes lift a man easily off the ground, his mechanical hand wrapped around the man's throat. He threw him, and as the man staggered to his feet Steve's shield slammed into him and took him back down for the count.

An arm wrapped around her throat from behind. "You move, you die, sweetheart," a rough voice growled in her ear and she snorted, slamming her boot back into his shin and scraping the heel of it down the unprotected leg. He cried out in pain, releasing her.

"You were saying?" she asked, quirking a dark eyebrow. He started to lift his gun and her own went off, the bullet tearing through his hand and he howled, instantly dropping his weapon and falling to his knees, clutching his bleeding hand. "Don't be such a baby," she muttered.

This was the first good look she'd gotten at him, and if the way his compatriots looked over with worry lacing their expressions was anything to go by - and every ounce of her natural and learned skill said it was - he was their ringleader. Likely thought he was aiming for the easier target and found that she still wasn't what he expected. That didn't make him useless. One good blow to the head took him fully to the ground. "Now be a good boy and stay there," she muttered at the unconscious figure.

"More incoming!" Steve shouted, drawing her attention to another truck making its way towards them, and the sound of rotor blades slicing through the air signalled a chopper. That wasn't good.

"Take cover!" Sergeant Barnes yelled as the door to the chopper opened, revealing…. a man with a bow and arrow. Alright then. Maybe she'd seen it all now.

"Barton," Steve breathed out on a laugh.

The archer took aim and the arrow flew straight for the approaching truck, the entire vehicle rocking with the force of the explosion.

The chopper flew low to the ground and a thin figure that Peggy recognized from the expo as Peter Parker's costumed self leapt out. "Everybody okay?"

"Mostly whole," Sergeant Barnes answered and the helicopter came to a landing on the grass and the archer joined them.

"Retirement not sticking again?" Steve asked him, amusement lining his voice.

"Oh, you know how it goes," he answered. "You redo a few floors, the kitchen cabinets, but apparently making the attic into a bedroom is going too far?"

"Going stir crazy?"

"I didn't think so, but that's what Laura called it. Not gonna argue with the missus." His sharp gaze was very suddenly on Peggy. "You're new."

Steve motioned between them. "Clint Barton, Peggy Carter."

Those eyes widened just a little. "Right. Stark said something about Cap bringing you back." He stuck a hand forward and she took it, his grip firm. "You had a hell of a record in SHIELD."

Peggy wondered if her smile looked as strained as it felt. "So I hear. I don't suppose you could give us a lift? I have a few questions for our unconscious friend here and this isn't the best place for it."

Barton looked out over the damage with a low whistle. Multiple attackers down, Steve's truck flipped on its side, one of theirs half destroyed from ramming them, and the second vehicle still smoking from the exploding arrow. "Hope Tony still has his cleanup crew on standby," he chuckled.

* * *

It had been nonstop from the moment that the call had come in. After sending Barton and the kid out after Cap, Peg, and Bucky, Tony had moved like a blur as if he could convince his programs to download faster. And maybe he could.

By the time they returned he had his AI system loaded up and she was sending someone out to clean up the mess they'd left behind. Something that Tony had reminded them of repeatedly when they, as he called it, "brought more of the mess back with them."

Steve, Peggy, and Bucky took rounds on the guy, and Howard never thought he could have seen such different interrogation styles. They kept on him and then left him alone for a stretch, hoping to make him nervous. It was easier to do when their drive was over to Brooklyn after all was said and done. They, on the other hand, had a trip back out to the cabin, and Tony looked like he was fading by the time Pepper showed up with Morgan in tow.

The little girl got a limited tour, which seemed to perk her dad up a bit. Big brown eyes managed to widen a little more as he carried her around, showing off a few odds and ends. They caught Rhodey - Howard thought that was the man's name. He was apparently Tony's nearly lifelong friend that had worked very hard not to spend too much time directly with Howard - as he slipped out of the interrogation room, the seriousness melted away instantly. He scooped the little girl from Tony's arms and she giggled loudly as he kissed her cheek. All in all, there was no question that that Morgan was safe with the people around that loved her.

They hadn't gotten the answers that they wanted by the time that Pepper started gently urging Tony to the door, the promise of sending over the feeds following them out. Once they'd dropped the Parker kid off in Queens Howard joined his future daughter-in-law in the front as Tony and Morgan snoozed in the back.

It was a good thing that they did, too. By the time they reached the cabin Tony's phone was buzzing with alerts that Cap and Peggy had managed to get some information from the man. They sent it over through what Tony said were the secured servers and it was waiting for them inside on one of his tablets that he kept.

If Howard hadn't known better, he would have thought Tony had slept twelve hours with the way his attention sharpened when faced with a problem to unravel. He found his own lips quirking just a little at the thought as he joined him at the kitchen island, both Stark men balanced on the stools there, and waiting for the interrogation footage to get interesting as Pepper put Morgan to bed.

The thug that had attacked their friends has been sporting the earliest signs of a black eye when they'd brought him in, but Howard wondered if someone had hurried it along. They sat through minute after minute of denials, Tony skipping over sections of it as his impatience got the better of him, but finally he stopped and both men leaned in.

"_Twenty years, twenty lifetimes. It don't matter, sweetheart_," the man sneered at Peg. "_He's from here. He's come home. You ain't never gonna find him unless he wants to be found. Then you'll be the one regrettin' it_."

"_Tell us about your base of operations then_," Peggy said firmly, entirely unrattled.

"I thought they said they got something," Howard sighed, leaning heavily against the thick wood in front of him.

"Maybe they did. FRIDAY, pull up all Post-War buildings in the… east side of Manhattan."

Howard didn't miss the momentary hesitation. Like Tony thought he'd catch onto something. This was it. He'd heard something that clued him in on this so-called Iron Monger, but he was afraid that too detailed a search would tip Howard off. He'd been so tired, so focused, that he almost slipped entirely. Maybe Howard could catch the tiniest of hints.

"_Got it,_" FRIDAY answered and Tony moved to his holotable. The east side of Manhattan - very different from his own day - sprang up from the table and he risked a glance to watch dark eyes take it all in.

"No. No. No…. yes! FRIDAY, you sure these are all Post-War?"

"_What do I look like_?" the AI sassed back at him.

"You know, we've been over this. Doesn't matter. I trust you. Howard, out."

The inventor blinked. "What?"

"Out. It's compromising. I'll fill you in where I can, but I need to call Cap."

"No talking you out of it?"

"Nope."

He huffed, looking back around. He was so close, and it wasn't like he could listen in from the guest bedroom. Or anywhere else in this damned open layout home. Not down there anyway. "Fine," he groused. "I at least get to use the nice shower upstairs if you're gonna boot me to the curb."

Tony waved him off and he tried not to be insulted by it. Instead, he focused on what he wanted. He was already at the stairs when Tony shouted after him. "Don't even think about taking off with my robe again!"

A smirk tilted his lips and Howard trotted up the stairs, meeting Pepper at the top. "I'm just, uh, shower," he managed and she arched a skeptical eyebrow.

"He's serious about that robe," she warned.

"You know, he stole it from me first," Howard grumbled, and it did the trick as she chuckled her way down the stairs. He made a show of shuffling into the bathroom, turning on the - very nice - shower that they had upstairs, and shut the door, careful to keep his steps over to the banister quiet. He squatted down, straining to hear.

"Yeah, I know the place. Stane used to talk about buying it, but I guess skimming off of SI wasn't quite the payday he's gotten selling stolen arms from SHIELD and the military. He always said it'd be a homecoming when he got the chance." There was a long pause and Howard heard Tony pacing, every step agitated. "Yeah, it _would_ be a stretch if I didn't know him. C'mon, Cap. This is the man that was like a second father to me until I found out he'd hired a bunch of terrorists to snuff me. I know him, and even if I didn't, everything matches up. The timing on the purchase is too inline with when Bruce brought everyone back. There's too many coincidences not to…. Okay. Okay good. Let me know when you have that plan of yours."

Howard couldn't breathe and he reached forward, fingers wrapped tight around one of the ornate balusters that connected the banister to the floor. Stane. Obadiah Stane. How could Tony have meant any differently? It made so much sense in the fact that he wouldn't want Howard to know. The part that didn't make a lick of it was what his oldest friend in the world had been doing setting his son up to die. Howard had no idea what would bring Obie back into his life, but he'd known the man nearly since diapers. They'd grown up together. They'd been in street brawls together. Well, Obie'd kept him from getting pummeled it street brawls, if that was all the same thing. If he hadn't heard it straight from Tony's mouth, he'd have never believed it. Still wasn't sure how he could.

"Whatcha doin'?"

The dark haired man nearly jumped, but caught himself just in time to save his hiding space as he turned to find himself on eye level with Morgan Stark. "Hey there, miss. Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" he asked, voice as hushed as hers was.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" she echoed, and damn it all if the kid didn't look like she was chastising him.

"On my way. Just gotta take a quick shower." He motioned back to where the water was still running. "Then right down to bed. He risked a glance to what he could see of the space below them and it didn't sound like Tony or Pepper had heard them. "I won't tell if you won't."

"Deal!" she whispered and scurried off as quickly as she'd come.

Howard stood, starting for the bathroom and hoping that the scalding water could do something to wash away the sick feeling that was taking hold with the news Tony had tried to hide from him.

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: Well, this chapter turned out a bit differently than originally planned, but that's okay. I think I like it better. When it doubt, toss another wrench into the heroes' plans and see how they cope :P

Kudos to anyone who caught the whole robe bit. If you've seen the Agent Carter series, you may have noticed that Howard's robe that he wears on a couple of episodes is the same one we saw Tony in under house arrest in IM2. A friend over on Tumblr and I have been joking how they would just steal it from each other while Howard's staying there.

I hope you guys are enjoying the read as much as I've enjoyed writing this! Any predictions on Howard's new bit of information he has?


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

It was far too early for as late as they had all gone to bed the night before. Not that she had gotten any sleep. Tony had tossed and turned, and even when he dozed she could hear him mumbling in his sleep, his mind still running a million miles a minute even as his body attempted to rest. Nothing worked to help calm him down, and around five-thirty she had felt him slide out of bed. Half an hour later she gave up too.

Pepper found her husband downstairs with a cup of coffee that he clearly didn't need and he had an earpiece in his ear. _Cap_, he mouthed when she caught his attention and she moved to the kettle to start boiling water for tea. Her gaze remained focused on it as she listened to Tony's hushed conversation. Surveillance had shown Stane entering the building, and from the sound of it Steve, Peggy, and whoever else was involved in the decision making were planning to slip into the building. A glance over confirmed that Tony had a tablet open and blueprints that he probably shouldn't have access to displayed. "I have FRIDAY finding the best entry point, but just eyeballing the security, I should be able to override the alarms for…. sixty seconds, maybe, before tripping the secondary systems." There was a brief pause. "Might be able to push it to ninety. Anything else and we'd need override codes. You want to move now that's what I got for you."

Pepper glanced over at the sound of the guest bedroom door opening around the corner and Howard shuffled his way in. He looked like he'd gotten about as much sleep as they had. Maybe less.

The dark haired man ghosted over to the coffee pot and poured a mug of his own before he seemed to notice that he was sharing the kitchen with two other people. He blinked owlishly, gaze drifting to where Tony had started pacing, his voice taking on that agitated tone he got when he felt like he was having to dumbdown his process. After all these years he and Steve still hadn't quite found middle ground when discussing the more technical aspects of a mission.

"Hey, you got a sec?" Howard asked in a hushed whisper.

Pepper nodded, reaching over to pour the water from the kettle into her mug and she followed him into the living room. She took a seating the couch, but he didn't immediately follow. Instead he moved nervously, glancing back as if to make sure Tony was still distracted. When he seemed to be satisfied by Tony's frustrated remarks into phone, he joined her on the couch and leaned in, his voice still hushed. "I need your, uh…. advice on something."

Pepper quirked a ginger eyebrow at that. This wasn't going to go well. "Shoot." He stared at her like he had no idea what she meant by that and she motioned for him to continue.

Howard took a long drink from his coffee mug, and when he lowered it, his gaze only darting to meet hers for the briefest moment. "I, uh…. couldn't sleep a wink last night. Kept tossin' and turnin' and trying to find a way to uh….." He sniffed, his mustache twitching a little as he did. "I'm not great at this."

"At what?" Pepper prompted as gently as she could.

"Asking for help."

The corners of her lips tugged upward a little. "Tony has trouble with that too."

"So I've noticed."

"Sometimes it's better just to jump right in."

"Right," he breathed. "Right…. IknowaboutObie."

With the way he ran the sentence together, it took half a beat for Pepper to put together exactly what he had said. That's when the dread hit.

"Obadiah Stane," he clarified, voice still hushed. "I know Tony preferred I didn't, but I wasn't gonna be much help if —"

"He did more than prefer," she said quietly, her voice firm.

Howard looked like he was quickly reassessing his expectations. "I didn't know," he finally murmured.

"That was the point."

"But now that I do, I can't just not do anything about it."

"Exactly the reason Tony worked so hard to keep you in the dark on it."

The dark haired man pushed a frustrated breath out through his nose, brown eyes meeting her own blue. "Look me in the eye, Pepper. Look me in the eye and tell me if you could make it so he didn't have to go through all that that you wouldn't."

She swallowed her immediate response and pulled in a breath that did very little to actually ease the tension that was building in her chest. It did give her just a moment to find the right words though. "It's not my call to make," she said softly. "I love him, but I also know him. I know how, if it's his to carry or not, he'll take on as much responsibility as he can manage and then add some more on top of it. I know that if he thought for even an instant that there was a universe out there where Thanos won, he'd never be able to forgive himself."

"Timelines find new ways to correct themselves."

"Maybe, sometimes, but then other times there are constants, aren't there?" She waited and he gave a stiff, reluctant nod. "If he's the only one that could have beaten Thanos in the end or just the only one in those set of circumstances, we'll never know for sure, but Tony will convince himself that it's all on him. He won't mean to, but he will. It's his choice to make, not mine and not yours, no matter what we know."

She waited a long moment and watched him work through it. He hadn't known Tony long, but she'd bet he had seen enough that he knew she was right. Finally, he loosed a long breath. "It's my fault. Only reason Obie would ever be in his life would be because of me. How can I live with that?"

"By knowing it's his choice."

He nodded slowly, running a hand through his hair. "Tell me it's not what breaks us," he whispered, and Pepper reached forward, her fingers touching one slightly trembling hand that was clutching his coffee mug like his life depended on it.

"You two had a lot of issues, but Obadiah wasn't one of them. He never blamed you for that."

"Okay," he breathed. "Okay. So I guess I shouldn't tell him I know, huh?"

"Oh no. You're telling him," Pepper answered, sipping at her tea and trying not to feel a little smug at the way Howard balked at the statement.

"You just said -"

"I did, but you told me and Tony and I don't keep secrets. With everything we face, it wouldn't work if we did. We have to be able to trust each other completely, so I'm not keeping this from him. That said, it'd be better coming from you. Just… wait until after whatever happens today happens."

"Guess I shouldn't distract him, huh?"

"Not if you don't want this to be harder than it already is."

Howard nodded, standing from his seat. He turned and tried for a smile that he almost managed. "Thanks."

"I'd say anytime, but if you ever put me in that position again…"

"No, I mean…. For everything that you've done for him. He'll be okay. No matter what, my kid's gonna be okay because he'll have you."

That pulled a real smile from her as she watched him turn, sauntering back off to the kitchen where it sounded like Tony was ending his call.

* * *

Security was tighter than they had anticipated. He could still get them in without a problem - that had never been in question - but Stane's team had hidden the motion sensors and security cameras behind a different firewall. Something that wouldn't have been a problem at all if Tony could have been onsite. As it stood, he had to use his small window to get a smaller-than-planned team in to put a piece of tech that he'd designed himself in place to boost the signal. Once it was there, they wouldn't be able to keep him out. It was the putting it in place that was quickly becoming problematic.

"_Remind me again why our resident tech genius can't just hack his way in and get remote access_?"

Tony massaged the bridge of his nose, desperately trying to will away the migraine that threatened. It was like Barton was trying to remind him why, somehow, the kid had been the sensible choice to send in with his tech. Cap and Peggy were obvious no-goes, even with Peggy's proven ability to pick up on the technological advancements, neither of them were on par with what was needed here. Same with Barnes. Wilson had been a brief consideration. He was a quick study, but in the runthrough Tony had given them before they'd left their new base of operations, Sam had opted out of being responsible for it. He couldn't follow Tony's explanation while things weren't exploding around them. Rhodey would have been a good choice. While he wasn't necessarily design-minded, between his training and his long-standing friendship with Tony he had a good handle on intricate tech. He was, however, a stubborn bastard that hadn't let Tony upgrade the War Machine armor with nanotech, meaning that unless he wanted to leave his suit hidden outside the building and hope it got to him in time if things went south, he wasn't a viable option either. He wasn't exactly subtle when suited up. And while Tony was relatively sure that Clint followed more than he let on in a tech debrief… they couldn't risk him frying the delicate piece of equipment because he was too busy popping off to listen.

So that left Pete. In the fray of things with limited backup. Fantastic.

"Because I need the signal boosted to be able to gain access," Tony forced out through gritted teeth. "I need you watching Parker's back, Barton."

"_Yeah yeah yeah. We got it. Don't we, kid?_"

"_Oh yeah, Mr Stark! Tony. Sir. We're good! Almost there!_"

"I can hear you, kid. Maybe keep your voice down so every security guard in the building can't?"

"_Oh. Right. Okay, we're here._"

"Good. Remember what I told you?"

"_Every word_."

"That's my boy," Tony breathed out and let his gaze wander past his monitors. The only other soul in the room was Howard, who was hunkered down and seemingly focused on the 3D display of the building's blueprints. He'd been discussing strategy with Cap and Peggy - the three of them in their element, even if in a different setting than they'd worked together all those years before - but he'd long since gone quiet. Now it was almost like he was doing everything in his power to look busy. He'd been that way since they'd left the house that morning. With so much riding on the mission, Tony hadn't thought too hard about it, but in the high-tension lull that would have been filled with chattering any other time, Howard's silence was deafening and it was making his son even more edgy.

Tony tapped the mute button on his mic so that he could still hear Peter if he needed a refresher, but none of the team could hear him. "I swear, if Barton gets that kid hurt -"

"Parker's smart. He'll be fine." Howard didn't even look at him as he spoke and Tony thought he hadn't heard him sound quite as much like his father since he'd arrived in 2024. His tone wasn't comforting. It was like he was being brushed off.

"You good?"

That finally pulled Howard's attention towards him. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Don't know. You've been quiet since we left the house this morning. Seem pissed."

"Just focused," he answered as he turned back to the blueprint.

"_Mr Stark? I've got it linked up. What now_?" Peter's voice echoed through.

It took half a beat longer than it should have for Tony to pull himself out of one conversation - or lack thereof - and to unmute his mic for another one. "All the wires in place?"

"_They fit perfectly, Mr Stark._"

"'Course they did, kid. I designed it. Light 'er up."

It only took a moment for his screens to respond, but as soon as they did Howard was on his feet and coming to take a look. Okay. So that interested him. Tony shoved down an old and familiar hurt that he didn't have time for. Instead he focused on the data and what he needed to do to own it.

Fingers flew over a digital keyboard as he countered the codes created to keep him out. They weren't a match for him, and a small, lopsided smirk tilted his lips as he won the brief battle. "Got ya. Look alive, kids. Sending the schematics your way. I've got eyes, so time to work for a living."

"_Says the man on the other end of the comms_," Barton answered, his tone light.

"Says the man that's gonna get you out alive," he answered, grinning as he flew through the video feeds. "Okay. So here's how the plan's about to change…"

* * *

Once Tony was in Stane's systems, they were in. The element of surprise might only last so long, but that didn't matter when the tech genius had the ability to lock off sections of the building, effectively trapping guards and making it difficult for Stane's people to really respond.

The team moved relatively smoothly through the building and Steve could hear some of the light bickering over the comms - Bucky and Sam, Rhodey and Tony, and at one point someone popped off about the play by play Parker was giving - and he felt a small smile tug into place as he sent his shield flying to knock a gun trained on him off its mark.

"Are they always like this?"

He glanced over as Peggy straightened from checking her downed guard. "If the team's working, yes."

She echoed his smile. "It's a good team," she murmured, and he couldn't help feeling like there was more. Any hopes of finding what that might be were put on hold as Tony's voice echoed in his ear.

"_I've got eyes on our baddie, Cap. Heading up to the roof to a helipad and he's moving fast_."

"Sam and Rhodey?" Steve asked, already taking off up the stairs with Peggy behind him. If he didn't make it in time they needed someone that could get airborne.

"_They've got their hands full, but as soon as they're freed up we'll send you some back up_," Howard's voice joined in.

Okay. Then it was on him. He'd been in tighter spots before.

The super soldier burst through the door leading to the roof, seeing a chopper touching down. A tall man looked back at him, and while the scars that lined his face made him difficult to recognize from the pre-Iron Monger photos that SHIELD had kept, he knew it had to be Stane.

"I got him!" Peter Parker hollered out, and fraction of a second later Steve realized he hadn't heard him over comms. The kid dodged a shot at him, plugging up a weapon with his webbing, before a shock of energy sent him sprawling across the rooftop.

"Go," Peggy ordered and he nodded as they split ways - her towards the teen and Steve to do everything he could to stop the chopper from taking off. He threw his shield at the rotor blades, but another shot from their enhanced weapon sent it flying off course.

Stane was being ushered in and the chopper lifted back up off the ground. If they lost him here it could be some time before they found him again. He couldn't risk it.

His boot was firm against the concrete as he used the short wall circling the roof to launch himself off of, gloves hands catching the landing skids and using his momentum to swing up, legs wrapped around the skid as he climbed up.

The door opened above and he barely missed the energy blast aimed right at him, the weapon recharging for another shot. He moved fast, but not fast enough. The second shot clipped him hard in the shoulder and he felt his grip loosen and slip. The chopper rushed one way as he fell another, barreling straight at the street below.

He didn't hit though. He felt a hand catch hold of him, the familiar sound of a suit's propulsion rockets replacing the rush of air around him, and James Rhodes adjusted his grip. "I got ya, Cap," War Machine said as they started a much more controlled descent down.

They landed and Steve's knees buckled, hand going to his injured shoulder as a soft curse escaped him.

"_Rhodey, you get him_?" Tony's voice - more than a little worried sounding, but he imagined the other man would deny it if anyone mentioned it - sounded over the comms. "_Cap_?"

"I'm fine," he assured him. "The kid?"

"_Shaking it off like a champ_," Peggy answered.

Steve loosed a breath. At least there was that. "I lost him. Iron Monger. Tony, I'm—"

"_We'll get him,_" his friend answered, sounding like some of the stress was dissipating from his voice. "_Let's regroup and see what we've got_."

* * *

Captain Steve Rogers. Stane had heard somewhere along the way that Howard's old friend had finally been found and had made himself a pain in everybody's ass, no matter which side you leaned towards. The super soldier had led a team after him, compromising his hideout that he should never have been able to find. He had to have a source. Someone inside the organization that Stane had been putting together this past year. It was the only way he had found it so quickly. The only way he could have gotten the override codes for their security.

"Sir?" one of his men called over the noise of the rotor blades. He handed Stane a tablet. "Our hacker in Newark thinks he found our security problem."

Stane waved him off. "Take care of it. Whoever the leak is, I want them dead within the hour."

"It's not anyone from out side. It's another hacker. Even Marty couldn't get anywhere near him to get an idea who he was."

That caught his attention and he jerked the tablet out of the other man's hands, dark blue eyes scanning the information sent over a newly secured link. "That little shit."

"He's been trying, but —"

"It was Tony Stark."

"Okay…. we can —"

"Find him. Quietly. I gave him a chance to stay out of this and he dove straight in. It's time to make that little prick regret it."

* * *

It was like being slowly crushed to death. He could feel the weight pressing down on his chest to the point that he wondered if he should have Tony's AI system give him a once over. But then Howard would have to admit why he felt that way and that just wasn't a good option with everyone out staring danger in the face. He just had to keep it together until they were safe. That was the plan. It was a good plan when they had thought they'd be able to bring Stane in on the first try.

Howard had to play dumb when Tony and Steve had booted him out, even as Peggy pushed for the latter to get a pro to look after his shoulder. There wasn't much of a point. He'd be healed up like he'd never taken a hit at all by morning. They talked back in a private room, the other Avengers with them, for what felt like hours. It wasn't. He knew it wasn't, but when all he had to think about was should he or shouldn't he tell Tony that he'd snooped and gotten ahold of the one piece of information that he'd been so desperate to keep from him, it felt like eternity. He wasn't sure that he could sit through an entire car trip back to the cabin that night with him without slipping. It had been everything he could do to hold it together all day, and even that had been done mostly by just… not talking directly to him. This whole thing would be so much easier if he could just pretend he'd never heard anything. He was a good liar. If Pepper didn't know about it, he could have gotten away with it.

But she did and so he couldn't, and damn it all he was regretting more life choices than he was comfortable with at the moment.

"C'mon, we're heading out," Tony's voice cut through his swirling thoughts as he strode by, patting his shoulder as he passed him.

Howard swallowed hard, steeling himself. Okay. He could do this. They were done for the night and maybe he should just come out with it. The last thing he wanted was for them to get back and Pepper toss it out into the open like a grenade.

He waited, jaw clenched tightly as he looked for the right moment where he was pretty sure Tony wouldn't just pull over and toss him out of the car. Not in town where he could get over to Steve's place for the night, but not so close to the cabin that his son would decide he needed to work on his directional skills and just dump him to find his way back if he could. No, this had to be planned just right.

"So you gonna tell me or what?"

They were just barely out of the city. Not good. It was going to be a long walk back to Brooklyn. "Tell you what?" he managed, hoping Tom wasn't toying with him. He could have talking to his wife, already had the whole story.

"What I did to piss you off."

Or maybe not. "I told you, I'm not —"

"Listen, you can bullshit anybody else you want, but the Howard Stark cold shoulder was a staple of my childhood. I know it well, and there was always something that started it off. Even if it was just, you know, existing. Unless you decided to hate me for no reason overnight, I'm guessing something set you off now."

"I'd never hate you," Howard managed, the knot in his chest only growing. If it got any bigger it was going to cut off his airway.

Tony snorted. "You say that now." He glanced over from the driver's seat as they sped along down the road towards the cabin and Howard drew a deep breath. He had to trust him. Trust him to get it. Trust him to be capable of taking a few steps in his shoes. His lips parted as Tony gave up, turning back to the road. "Fine. Don't tell me. I just thought you would —"

"Stane."

The car swerved dangerously as Tony slammed his foot against the break. Tires squealed and skidded and Howard thought he might know real fear as Tony turned to look at him, the rage sudden and palpable in the air. When he spoke his voice was low and dangerous. "What'd you say?"

He swallowed hard. "Obadiah Stane."

"You son of a bitch."

"Tony, I pieced it together —"

"What did I say about bullshitting me?" the other man snarled. "I'm not an idiot."

"Neither am I!" Howard snapped back. "You've been sidelining me on this, but I knew I could help you."

"And there it is. Are you seriously that arrogant? You are. Of course you are. You always thought it was your way or nothing else. I should have known you wouldn't do the _one_ thing I asked you to do. Because you're smarter than me, right? Better? You can —"

"You want me to drop the bullshit, you first." That stopped him and Howard pushed a sharp breath out through his nose. "I get you're pissed. Maybe you got a right to be, maybe not. All I know is I'm doing the best I can to help you and you're tying my hands!"

"I'm trying to keep your timeline intact!"

"I know, and I'm gonna —"

"What are you gonna do, Howard? Ignore it? When Stane comes waltzing in you're just gonna put on your best smile and let it all play out?" Tony held his gaze for a long moment before turning to throw the car back into gear. "Thought so."

"What'dya want me to say?"

"There's nothing to say."

He opened his mouth to argue and Tony cut him off. "Whatever it is, keep it to yourself."

Howard slumped back against the passenger's seat, lips twitching down into a deep frown. He'd always been good at knowing what to say to get people to do what he wanted, but not with Tony. No, the kid had his number. He just didn't seem to care _why_ he'd done it. He wanted him safe. Was that so bad? Was it so terrible that Tony'd be willing to spend what little time they had left hating him? If his reaction was anything to go by, apparently it was.

* * *

Tony was exhausted. Physically and emotionally. He'd spent the majority of the day feeling like that six-year-old little boy that had been so desperate to get his father to pay attention to him all over again and at a loss as to what he'd done to be so thoroughly ignored. It wasn't actually what he'd done, he knew now. It was what Howard had done. That self-centered, arrogant bastard had done enough damage by hopping to the future to begin with, but he couldn't just accept this one thing Tony been firm on. It was enough to make him want to take a swing at him, and if he'd said one more word on the trip home Tony was about sure he would have pulled the car over and done just that.

"Listen," Howard said just as Tony thought maybe they'd make it inside without another fight erupting. "I know you think you've got this all figured out, but you don't know me like you think you do. If I say I'm not gonna let what I know change your future with Stane -"

"You didn't actually say that," Tony growled in response. "And if you did, it wouldn't matter. I _do_ know you."

Howard squared his shoulders. "I'm not the man that raised you. I'm not gonna be him."

"You will," Tony answered, "because that's who you are. Selfish, self righteous, and _convinced_ you know better than everyone else, especially me. Guess I should thank you for making me see it."

"Tony…."

"Go to bed, Howard." He turned, refusing to look at him any longer. Refused to speak to him any more. If he was going to be any use to anyone else, he needed sleep. Arguing with Howard Stark had been and always would be an exercise in futility.

Tony trudged up the stairs, forcing one foot in front of the other. He saw the light on in his and Pepper's room and turned to the right instead to Morgan's. The little girl was actually asleep when he slipped into her room. She stirred only a little as he bent over, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Love you tons," he whispered.

"Three thousand," she mumbled back, never fully waking up, and he felt a warmth replace the exhausted rage that had threatened to pull him under downstairs. He straightened, lingering just a moment to watch her settle back into a deeper sleep, and he knew if he didn't slip out right then that he'd sit himself down in the rocking chair and be asleep before he could stop himself.

Pepper was stretched out on their bed, book laid out in front of her and she was dressed for bed. "Hey," she greeted, not looking back at him.

"Hey."

She put a bookmark into place and closed it before sliding off the bed to cross the space between them. His wife didn't say a word as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He sank into the embrace, his own arms around her and his nose buried in the crook of her neck. A sigh escaped him.

"Everybody okay?" she asked softly.

"Mostly. Cap took a hit, but you know how he bounces back. Pete too, which could have been a lot worse than it turned out. It just knocked him for a loop."

"Did you get Obadiah?"

"No." Her hands moved to his hair, smoothing strands back in a soothing fashion that had him leaning even harder into her. "Gonna put me to sleep," he chuckled.

She hummed softly in response. The woman knew exactly what she was doing. "You okay?"

"I wasn't anywhere near the action, Pep. Safe and sound behind my computer."

She pulled back and her blue gaze held his own darker one. "That's not what I mean."

Tony cringed a little, nodding towards downstairs. "You heard that?"

"Yep."

He pulled in a breath and started for the bed. Her hand drifted down his arm as he did, landing in his hand and she followed him, sitting next to him at the edge. "He knew about Stane. I don't really know how… he said he pieced it together, but he overheard something. He's just so…." Tony swallowed the building rant and looked back to his wife who was listening patiently. "You don't look surprised." He blinked hard. "You knew. Why didn't you say anything?"

Pepper sighed, not willing to release his hand just yet. "Because it was better coming from him."

Tony stood at that, pulling free and for the first time since he'd walked into their room he saw confusion flicker across her expression. "And what if he'd just kept it to himself? Were you going to tell me?"

The confusion evened out to a knowing look and she stood slowly, reaching for him. He pulled back ever so slightly, the movement reflex as he battled the rising panic he couldn't quite place, much less control. "Hey," she said softly, stepping forward and her touch was gentle but firm as she pressed her fingers against the side of his face and guided him to look at her. "I understand that you're going through a lot. Howard, Obadiah… It's a lot, but I am _always_ on your side. You know that."

He struggled to keep his breathing even and her free hand moved to rest against his chest, palm pressed against the reactor. "Breathe, Tony."

He nodded, the motion jerky and uneven, but he leaned in when she did and focused on her as their foreheads touched. The feel of her hand, the sound of her own breathing, and her very presence. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"I trust you. I do."

"I know you do." She squeezed his hand and he let his eyes drift open to meet hers. He found her searching his gaze, like she was trying to gauge her next statement very carefully. "It's amazing what we're willing to do for the people we love."

"Please don't try to rationalize what he did."

"How far would you go if it was Morgan?"

"That's not fair."

"Why not?"

He didn't have an answer for that and he hated it. At least the smile she gave him was soft, and so was the kiss she pressed against his lips. He felt her leading him back towards the bed, but he pulled back suddenly. "He's not him, is he?"

"Not yet. He has a chance to be better."

"I shouldn't have said what I did."

"And you can apologize in the morning. Tonight, let's get some sleep."

Tony nodded, leaning down to steal another kiss before turning to get ready for bed.

* * *

"Daddy?"

The single word cut through layers of sleep and Tony jumped a little at the small finger that poked at his cheek, waking him. He reached up, rubbing hard at his eyes. "Hey, little miss. What are you doing up?"

"He said." She crawled onto the bed with him and Tony's brows drew together as he struggled to sit up. He glanced past her at the clock. 4:45 in the morning.

"Tony, what's wrong?" Pepper mumbled, the movement and their voices finally waking her.

"I don't know. Who said, baby? Howard?"

She wrapped her small arms around him. "The mean man in the kitchen."

"Honey, did you have a nightmare? FRIDAY, lights up to thirty percent." The instruction hung in the air with no response from his AI. Pepper reached over to the lamp next to her side of the bed and light flooded the room.

Morgan pulled back a little at that and her eyes were rimmed red. "No. The mean man."

Something about this wasn't setting right with him. "What'd he say?"

"He said come upstairs and tell you or… or he'd hurt Howard. He was really mean, Daddy. I don't like him."

"Tony." Pepper's voice was deadly serious from her place next to him and Tony pressed a kiss to their daughter's forehead.

"Hey, you. I'm going to go check for him, okay? Can you keep your mom safe?" He waited for Morgan to nod before shifting her off his lap. "That's my girl."

He threw the covers off and felt Pepper's fingers wrap around his wrist, her expression carefully masked so that she wouldn't scare Morgan any more than she already was. They both knew what could be waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. Howard was down there, though, and if he was in danger he couldn't just leave him.

Tony moved to the dresser and punched a code into a locked drawer. It opened and he pulled what looked like a watch from it, fitting it over his hand and locking the piece of tech into place. He didn't dare go into what could turn into a fight for his life without something.

"Be careful," Pepper said quietly from the bed, holding onto Morgan.

"You too. Be right back."

Locking the door behind him wouldn't do much good if they'd already made it into their home. Pepper would just have to get creative if they needed to get out. He had every faith in her that she could and would.

He made his way down the stairs and towards the light in the kitchen. Armed men stood waiting for him and Howard was on his knees between them. He looked back around, the beginning of a black eye showing. "Tony," he breathed. "I'm so sorry. Is Morgan -?"

"She's fine. You okay?" He gave a nod and Tony looked to where Obadiah Stane stood with a bottle of his nice scotch and a glass in hand like he was a welcomed guest. He looked him over, taking in the scars that the explosion had left him with. It should have killed him. They had told him that it had killed him. Just another lie someone had told. "Obadiah."

"Tony." The way the older man said his name sent an old chill through him and he couldn't help but feel like he was on display. "Look at you. Busy as always. I'll admit that this threw me." He motioned at Howard. "Time travel. You outdid yourself. Again. Granted, I wouldn't have thought Howard Stark would be the one you went to. Maria, maybe, but I guess you always did have daddy issues, didn't you, m'boy?"

"What do you want, Stane?"

Stane flashed a smile. "Right now? An exchange. You hand over whatever piece of tech you have hidden away to finish the job you failed at sixteen years ago and we go have a chat."

"What do I get out of this?"

His former mentor lifted a gun and pressed it against Howard's temple. "I don't blow your dear old dad's brains out."

"Obie," Howard managed, his tone pleading. "You and me, we were friends."

"Once. Well, a version of you. The Howard I knew died years ago. Opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I plan to take full advantage of the ones Tony here can present." Dark blue eyes turned on Tony. "You for your family."

"Okay."

"Tony -" Howard called out, starting to his feet. The man closest to him whipped him across the face hard, sending him sprawling across the kitchen floor.

"I said okay!" Tony snapped. "Don't touch him. Don't touch any of them."

Stane reached a hand out and Tony knew what he was looking for. He unfastened the watch and held it out to him. The older man smirked. "You always were a smart boy. C'mon. We've got a lot to talk about."

He wrapped an arm around Tony's shoulders and pulled him along like he used before Tony had found out who he was. A liar, a thief, and a murderer that was determined to show him who was in charge of the situation that he found himself in. Tony swallowed the urge to fight him. Until they were far away from the people that he loved, he couldn't risk fighting him. He didn't dare.

* * *

TBC

Notes: I wrapped up the writing on this chapter and thought 'huh, that's a long one. It might be 5K'. It's actually 6.2K after edits, but I just didn't have a good place to split it, so here you go. A monstrous sized chapter of action and kick to the feels. Everyone just really needs a hug after this. Except for Obie. Obie needs a kick to the teeth.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Howard felt his world spin around him, and it had nothing to do with the blow to the head. He couldn't do anything but watch as Obadiah Stane - a man that he'd counted as a friend once - guided Tony out of the house with an arm around his shoulders as if the threat of what he'd do to them all wasn't left hanging thickly in the air. He watched the thugs that lingered behind, waiting to see if they'd leave with him or if they would remain at the house as insurance to make sure Tony cooperated with whatever Stane had planned.

It took a moment, but they followed after their boss without a word, leaving Howard alone on the kitchen floor. He stumbled his way up, and the SUV was pulling away from the house by the time that he made it over to the window.

"He went with them." Howard spun, finding Pepper already halfway down the stairs. Her expression was carefully guarded, but it hadn't been a question. She knew. She probably knew before she'd come out of the bedroom. He opened his mouth to respond and she shook her head. "You weren't going to be able to stop him. Trust me. Did they all leave with Obadiah?"

"As far as I could tell."

Her blue gaze swept over him, assessing something that she didn't bother sharing with him. Instead she started for the door. "Tony started designing this place right after we found out we were pregnant. Even retired and with half the population gone he knew there was always a chance of an enemy or two popping up, so he made sure Morgan had a safe place to hide if there was ever a worst case scenario."

Okay. So Morgan was safe. That had to count for something. He followed her out and across the yard. "How're we gonna find him?"

"We need to start by reconnecting to FRIDAY." Pepper frowned at the keycode on the garage and started searching the outside of the structure. She seemed to know what she was looking for, but she wasn't too quick to share. "Obadiah's group hit a SHIELD base, didn't they?"

"A storage facility, yeah. Cap, Peggy, and Bucky checked it out and got attacked on their way out."

Pepper loosed a frustrated sigh as she pulled a small device from where it was tucked out of immediate view. She held it out to give Howard a better look at it. "Tony's design. He put it together a few months ago for Fury when he asked."

Howard took the little disk, squinting in the dark at the red lights showing that it was active. "What's it do?"

"It's a localized EMP. The way it was positioned, it had everything in the garage knocked out. Our computers that connect to the Stark Industry's servers, FRIDAY's mainframe…"

"And the suits," Howard murmured. "All the defenses set up."

"Most of them, yeah." A slim finger moved over the edge and red lights faded. As they did the keypad on the door flickered and finally jolted back to life. Pepper keyed in her code and the doors opened. "Obadiah must have made modifications to it. After…." She grimaced a little, and Howard knew she was trying to decide how much to say. He might know it was Obie, but there were still a lot of gaps there. Finally she pulled in a breath. "After a security breach a few years ago he made sure to put safeguards in. Anything he gave to SHIELD shouldn't have worked on our systems."

"Did SHIELD tell you they'd gotten it?"

His son's wife snorted. "Oh no. That would have made things too easy. FRIDAY, are you back online?"

"_Working on it_," the AI answered.

"I need a secure line and I need you to pull any of our satellite footage that might have caught the vehicle Obadiah came in."

A holoscreen appeared in front of Pepper with a digital keyboard in front of it. Half of the screen showed a progress bar. "_Pulling the images now. The line is secure._"

"Thank you, FRIDAY," Pepper managed, and she reached for the keyboard. Just as she did a sound drew both of their attention towards the still-open door.

"Any chance Morgan got curious?" Howard managed.

"She can't unlock it from inside."

"Shit."

"Just get behind me."

Dark eyes blinked owlishly at that. "Listen, that's uh…." He jumped as blue and silver metal flew by, a piece of it nearly slamming into him as it did. It fastened around Pepper, encasing her in a suit not too unlike one of Tony's, and he let out a low whistle. "Whatever you say."

She put herself between him and the door, the charging repulsor beam in her glove the only sound as they waited.

* * *

The entire car ride felt like he was one turn away from the driver pulling over to put a bullet in his head. He hadn't felt quite like that since the humvee in Afghanistan sixteen years before. It didn't help that the same man that had organized the attack then sat next to him in the back of the SUV now.

"You look tense," his former mentor said and reached forward to a small storage area in front of them and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of amber liquid like it was old times.

"Couldn't imagine why," Tony murmured as he loosed a breath, dark eyes taking in every inch of his surroundings. "Not like you dragged me out of bed and threatened my family or anything."

Obadiah chuckled and shoved a glass into Tony's hand. "I would have let you change, Tony," he said, motioning to the fact that he was sitting there in nothing but a t-shirt, sleeping pants, and his own bare feet, "but you seemed to be in a hurry to get out the door. Cute kid you had there though. She was very persistent that I didn't touch Howard. That's gotta be a story there."

Tony pushed a frustrated breath out his nose. "What do you want, Stane?"

"It's been a long time, and I understand that you were, uh…. heavily involved in bringing back everyone that was snapped out. I suppose I have to be grateful for that. It looks like it left a mark." He motioned at the scarring along Tony's right side and the younger man's eyes narrowed dangerously. Stane snorted. "Consider it an olive branch discussion. I think we can help each other. I'd like to help each other."

"If you think I'm going to give you anything, you never did know me very well, did you?"

"We'll see. Everybody has a price. Even self-righteous little pricks like you."

Tony finally cracked a smile. "You really think that getting me out of the house means you've won, huh? Let me guess. Your people are going back for Pep and Morgan. You think you'll be able to leverage them like you did Howard." He watched the older man's expression harden just before he hid it behind a sip from his own glass. Tony chuckled. "You're about to be disappointed."

"So this is how it's going to be?" Stane asked.

"You're not getting anything from me. You should have known that coming in."

Stane hummer lowly and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small disk that Tony recognized as one of his own designs. A localized EMP. He lifted one dark eyebrow. "You planning to kill your car engine?" he asked flatly.

"Something a bit smaller."

The question never made it from his lips as Stane flipped the device on and the blue light under his white t-shirt suddenly went out. Tony jolted, head slamming back against the rest, and his whole body seized up as his heart desperately tried to beat without the reactor to support it.

"Do you like the modifications?" Stane asked almost pleasantly. He must have deactivated it again because there was another shock to his system and Tony felt his heart shudder back into a healthier rhythm.

"How?" he managed after a long moment.

"I assumed that if you were willing to produce this little gem for SHIELD that you would put safeguards in to protect yourself. I found a kid that can reverse engineer almost anything. Smart boy. You'd like him." Stane chuckled. "I'll tell you, he's a big fan of yours."

"What the hell do you need me for then?" Tony choked out, hand finally making it to his chest and his fingers wrapped around the glowing ARC reactor.

"Even he has limits, and your AI systems are beyond him. We can shut it down temporarily like we did at your house, but getting into it, accessing those files and protocols…. that's all you."

Tony snorted and leaned his head back against the seat behind him as the vehicle continued forward. He didn't dare close his eyes or he thought the exhaustion would pull him under. Instead he focused on the darkly tinted windows and his own drawn reflection there. They'd been in the car for…. a couple hours at least. He'd lost track of which way they were driving. It was like having a bag over his head. Completely disorienting. "You know, the terrorists you hired to kill me years ago tried to torture me into giving them my tech, and I'll tell you the same thing I told them." He turned, meeting those dark blue eyes he'd once known well. "I refuse."

Stane made a small, amused noise, almost like he was accepting some sort of challenge. Well, Tony had never shied away from one before, and if worse came to worst his family would be safe. Pepper had everything at her disposal to make sure they'd be okay. At the end of the day, that's what really mattered.

* * *

Data flashed across her screens. Five men incoming. Heavily armed. Not as heavily as she was though. Whatever Obadiah's people had been told to expect, Pepper was fairly certain that she wasn't part of the warning. They came in guns blazing, which was useless against the Rescue suit. Howard had jumped for cover in the back room, and as long as she could hold them, this would be over as quickly as it had started

Bullets pinged off her armor and she returned fire, precision blasts taking down one, two and three, and four managed a head shot that rattled the helmet painfully as it sent her tumbling. Well that wasn't a normal gun.

Pepper picked herself up off the ground, ears ringing and trying to shake off the fuzzy feeling that threatened to distract her. Okay. This was how Tony always managed to come out of the suit beaten and bruised despite the countless upgrades he'd made to better protect himself inside of it. Getting slammed hurt no matter how well insulated it was. It didn't help that her experience fighting in the suit had been out in the open and not in as close quarters as her husband's workshop was turning out to be.

"Time to stay down."

She looked up at the man that had come after her, temper flaring. "No." She was on her feet again and the blast from her chest piece met and overpowered the energy blast from his gun, slamming him back hard. He didn't get up, and according to the vitals that flickered across his screen he wouldn't for some time.

Pepper turned, scanning for the last man standing and found herself alone in the front of the workshop. A blast and the loud crash that immediately followed sounded from the back and she felt a cold chill sweep through her. Howard.

The suit moved before she'd realized she'd given it the command, scattering papers and loose debris all around the tables. She blew through the opened door to find the room was strangely quiet in the aftermath of the violent, albeit brief battle. She saw the intruder first, laid out like he'd been thrown into the side of the car that Tony and Howard had been working on since Howard's arrival, but the misplaced Stark was nowhere to be seen.

A groan caught her attention from the other side of the room and after a quick scan of the downed attacker her helmet snapped back and she made her way towards it. Howard was picking himself up, one of the Iron Man gauntlets strapped to his arm, and she choked on the relieved laugh that escaped.

"Glad you think it's funny," he huffed. "Damn thing threw me across the room. How do you and Tony do that?"

Pepper pressed her lips together, desperately trying to keep her amusement to herself and failing as memories danced across her mind. "Tony did the same thing the first time he tried it."

"Guess I'm in good company then." He motioned with his left hand towards the front of the workshop. "What 'bout the others?"

"None of them are going anywhere fast. FRIDAY?"

"_Should I put the call through that you were trying to make earlier?_" the AI offered.

"Yeah. Call Steve Rogers."

* * *

He'd been trying to make a call for the past ten minutes. He would dial, put the phone to his ear, and then Tony would sit back and watch the frustration build. Stane tried three times before Tony finally chuckled. "Your people aren't gonna answer."

That pulled an irritated glare his way. "What did you do?"

"Oh, not me. I'm right here."

"Howard then."

Despite his own precarious situation, Tony couldn't help the amused smirk that tilted his lips up as the SUV pulled to a stop. "You know, you always underestimate people, Obie. You use them and throw them away when you think you're done with them, but you don't see what they can be. It's the reason you couldn't kill me and it's the same reason there's no way in hell you're getting your hands on Pepper." He met the other man's careful gaze. "She's not going to let your people leave the property, much less get anywhere near our daughter."

Obadiah sat there for a long moment, the vehicle idling as he held Tony's gaze. Finally he tucked his phone away in his suit jacket. "Then I guess I'll just have to make sure you understand the stakes."

The only warning Tony had was the brief glimpse of the EMP disk before his body rebelled, the reactor going dark and his heartbeat trying to keep up with the new burden until everything went black.

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: Obadiah should already know not to mess with Pepper Potts. She's the one that blew him to hell sixteen years before... and she'd do it again in a heartbeat to protect her family.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Everything hurt. It was the one thing that he thought he knew, but even that started to recede into the background like waking from a dream. And then it was gone, mostly, with only the echoes of stiffness that could be explained away by the angle he was slouched back in his chair…. asleep? No. That didn't seem right.

"Didn't realize I'd actually bored you to sleep."

Tony dug the heels of his hands into his eyes to try to clear them, finally blinking hard. When he didn't respond right away he saw Howard pop up on the other side of the car like a gopher and he shook his head. "I was…."

"Out like a light," Howard chuckled at him as he stood, reaching for a rag to wipe his hands with. "Midway through the story I look over and you were gone."

Everything felt foggy and he kept catching what looked like tiny bursts of light from the corner of his eye, but when he looked over nothing was out of place. "What story?" he found himself asking.

"'Bout Cap and the whole fondue incident."

Tony sat up a little straighter. "He hates it. Never knew why."

"It's a funny story. You'd have heard it if you hadn't dozed off."

He stood, feeling a little unsteady as he did, and he looked towards another sharp flash of light.

"Tony?"

Tony jerked back around, Howard's tone startling him. Like he'd called him several times. "Huh?"

"Kinda thought this was a joint project."

"Right."

He couldn't shake the strange feeling that nagged at him, but he did his best to push it aside as he joined Howard next to the classic car that had somehow become their project. Rebuilding a similar one with the man that had raised him had been one of Tony's few good memories of his childhood with him. Now, with this Howard, they could both enjoy it as they settled into casual conversation about anything and everything. They talked about Morgan, about Tony and Pepper's wedding. About the Avengers and some of the adventures they'd had together. Tony got a laugh at the look he got when he told the man that would be his father that he'd dismantled a rogue bot with a fondue stick once.

"What about FRIDAY?" he asked and Tony saw another flicker. Something felt wrong.

"What about her?"

"Anything. _Everything_. C'mon. It's not like I'm gonna be able to replicate it when you send me back. Even I'm not that good." He paused, that playful smirk that was all the Howard Tony was coming to know and nothing of the father he had tugging into place. "Okay, I am that good, but I won't have the tools at my disposal to make it happen."

"It's just one of those things." He looked over. That wasn't a flash of light. That was a full disruption. Like a glitch in an augmented reality display.

"Then give me something that won't break time and space, huh? Where's she located?"

Something was wrong and Howard was pushing. He always pushed, but there was something about this…. "Why would you need to know that?"

"Curiosity. My kid is the greatest inventor this generation knows. I just wanna see it with my own eyes. You know, before you send me home."

Tony closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus through what felt like a fog crashing in on him. "I knew I was missing something."

"Say again?"

When he re-opened them, everything around them was glitching, and didn't take more than half a second for Howard to join the rest of it. "You're not here. I'm not even here." He looked around, a mirthless chuckle leaving him and he shouted at nothing in particular. "Game's up, Obie. It's clever, I'll give it to you. Guess that means you didn't put it together." He thought he heard a frustrated snarl somewhere in the distance. Howard was frozen in place and Tony's workshop flickered in and out of sync around him. "Just can't come up with it on your own, can you? Break into my house and disable my ARC reactor with my own localized EMP device and what? You had to go through SHIELD for that, so that means you haven't gotten through Stark Industries' securities to steal anything directly from there. You track down that nutcase Beck or something? Bet you two got along. Was there enough room between the two of you -"

And then, just like that, it all snapped out of existence and Tony found himself on his back, laid out on a table with his wrists and ankles cuffed to it. Obadiah Stane stood just in his line of sight, his face beet red as he fumed. Tony shot him a dangerous grin. "Enough room between the two of you for your bitching and moaning that life just isn't fair that you can't figure out a way to beat me?"

He hadn't thought Stane could look any angrier, but somehow he managed. He probably should stop antagonizing him or the man was going to lose the last shred of his self control and throttle him. "You always think you're the smartest man in the room, don't you, Tony?"

"Because I am. Nearly every damn time."

Stane jerked forward and Tony thought he was about to get punched. Instead the older man ripped a pair of glasses from his face - clunky, but not in a fashionable way. Tony could see the wires running through. Definitely Beck's original design, even if Stane had had someone alter it - and threw them at a lanky, bespectacled young man that barely caught them. "_Fix it_!" Stane roared and stormed out to leave Tony alone with the startled, trembling man.

* * *

They had stopped off in Queens to pick up Peter Parker before making their way into Manhattan. The teen was quieter than Peggy had ever heard him before as he listened to Steve explain what little they knew. Obadiah Stane had used some of the stolen tech to break into Tony's home. Pepper had confirmed that she, Howard, and Morgan were alright, but he'd taken Tony. They were already pooling resources to track him. They would find him, Steve promised, and Peter only nodded, his expression determined in a way Peggy had seen so many times in boys not much older than him during the war. She wouldn't bet against the teen in that moment, and it sounded like they needed every ounce of strength they could muster for this.

The majority of the team had already gathered by the time they got there. Colonel Rhodes, Sergeant Barnes, and Sam Wilson stood looking at a collection of images displayed on a projection, Pepper balancing a very upset looking Morgan in her arms as she spoke quietly with them. Barton looked up from a call he was on, nodding to the group looking at the satellite footage. "Hey Cap, we've got eyes."

Steve moved immediately while Morgan Stark wiggled free of her mother's arms and took off like a shot towards Peter. He caught her mid-leap and the little girl hung onto him like her life depended on it. "The mean man took Daddy!"

"I know," he said softly as he held onto her protectively. "We're gonna get him back."

She sniffed. "Promise?"

"Yeah."

"They hurt Howard."

That caught Peggy's attention, and for the first time she realized her friend wasn't with the others. Her gaze swept the room and fear started to settle into her chest just as he strode in from a different room with a cup of coffee in either hand. He was sporting a black eye and a brace on his wrist, but looked mostly whole as he delivered the second cup to Pepper.

"Hey, Peg," he greeted as she made her way over, but his voice didn't hold any of his usual gusto.

Her looked him over, searching for any signs that there were more injuries than the eye could see. "What happened?"

Howard shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny and took a long drink from his mug. "Pepper told you."

"Not this -" She motioned to his injured wrist and then to his eye - "or this."

"Turns out I don't just know Iron Monger. I've known him most've my life." He didn't seem to want to meet her eyes and he ran a hand back along his hair to smooth it back as much as he could. Finally he stepped closer, his voice hushed. "I figured it out before he came in. Tony was…"

"Less than thrilled?" she prompted with a raised eyebrow.

"Livid, But Obie - Stane - seemed to think, seemed to _know_ all he had to do was threaten any of us. I just happened to be the one there, but he… he didn't even put up a fight, Peg. Just gave up the one weapon he had on him and walked out the door."

He blamed himself. There was no denying how attached Howard had become to the man that would be his son someday, and Tony appeared to have finally let some of his own guard down somewhere along the way. Stane must have seen it and used it against them. "Howard, this isn't —"

"I'm going in with you."

She blinked hard, startled. "I'm sorry?"

"To get Tony. I'm going with you. I know I'm not like the rest of you, but I'm handy with a firearm. It's not like I've never been close to a firefight either."

"I seem to remember you diving for cover when we tested Steve's shield the first time," she said softly. The image might have been amusing any other time, but at that very moment it just served as one of many reminders that he was a civilian, not a soldier.

"Testing, is that what you called it? 'Cause I thought you were trying to make a point when you caught him with that pretty blonde." His smile was strained and faltered almost immediately. "Peg, how many flights did I take over occupied territory to get Cap's team where they needed to go? Nobody but me would."

"You were in the air and away from the fray, or should we talk about Poland and the quite literal scars you have to remember that trip by?"

"I can do this."

Peggy swallowed the argument that threaten to tumble uselessly from her lips. Howard Stark was one of the most stubborn people she'd ever known. She had to be careful. "But is it where you'd do him the most good?" She saw his shoulders sag just a little. "I've seen you at work, Howard. Yes, you're a top notch pilot. You know I know that, but that's not what we need here. You're also a talented tactician. Get us through where they're holding him. Help us get to him. That's how you save him."

That stubborn expression cracked to show just a little of the fear beneath. "I can't lose him, Peg. I gotta…" He swallowed hard. "I gotta make it right."

Peggy reached what she hoped would be a comforting hand out to him. "We will. I just need you to trust me."

"Peggy?" She looked over to Steve who looked ready to knock heads. "We've got a location. You ready?"

She looked back to Howard, desperately needing his confirmation before leaving him there. Pepper had a five-year-old reason that wasn't suiting up along with them and running headlong into danger, but Howard was just stubborn enough that if he didn't give her his word he might follow them no matter what. It took a long moment, but he nodded, the movement stiff, and she didn't want to think about what would happen if she couldn't make good on the promise.

"Thank you."

"Happy has the jet ready for you," Pepper called out as she came to stand with Howard, Morgan reaching out for her hand. "You still current, Clint?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Bring him home."

* * *

No one else had come back into the room since Obadiah had left and Tony was carefully working to undo at least one of the cuffs around his wrists. The straps were fastened into place, but if he could get just the right angle on it he could start to work it free. Get one free, he could get the other free. Once his hands were liberated then came the feet and then… well, at least he'd have a chance.

A sharp cry from the far end of the room reminded him that he was not, in fact, alone. Stane's little pet… whatever he was was there. Tony still didn't know exactly what his expertise was in, but if he were to wager a guess he was the kid that Obadiah had said had been digging into his tech. Apparently not well, if the glitchy would-be BARF simulation was anything to go by. Maybe he could be useful somehow. "So," Tony drawled, shift against his restraints, "you guys recruit Beck for that?"

"Oh no. He didn't want anything to do with us. He had this whole thing planned out… Doesn't matter now. Mr Stane asked me to upgrade the tech a while back and I've been working on it. I thought I had all the bugs worked out but….. Well, you saw." He swiveled around on his chair, the wheels on the bottom carrying him across so that he was inches away from Tony now. Well that hadn't been what he was going for. "Mr Beck's design dialed into the hippocampus and manipulated memories. He was working on something that was going to let him project out what he wanted people to see, but Mr Stane thought it would be more useful to, uh… use what's inside the person's mind already."

"Let them be their own worst enemy."

"Yes! Yes exactly!"

"He's always been a manipulative bastard."

"Oh, he's a genius."

Tony felt the cuff slip ever so slightly. "He's something alright. What's your name?"

"My name? Oh. Oh it's Marty. I, uh -" he looked back to the door and then leaned down. Tony's fingers instantly stilled. "Don't tell him I told you, but I'm a big fan of yours. I wanted to work for Stark Industries after school, but you know the snap and everything. So here I am. Mr Stane's great though."

"If you say so. How close are you? Getting your design to work?"

That did the trick. Marty scooted back over to his work station as he spoke. "Really close. I think the key is finding a way to keep the power surges under control. Your ARC reactor technology should do the trick, though. I think. I took a scan of the one in your chest while you were out. Hope you don't mind."

"Kinda do." And then it slipped. Tony jerked hard against it and his hand broke free. He moved instantly to the other cuff and started tugging it loose.

"Well, I mean, it's such an amazing piece of tech and you don't have it out there on the open web. You should. You really should."

Tony sat up, ripping the restraints from his bare ankles. He had the last one undone by the time Marty looked around, his expression inquisitive. "Oh! You can't… you shouldn't be up!"

"Hey, I need you to keep quiet, you hear me?"

"I can't. I really shouldn't. Mr Stane -"

"Do you want him to know you let me go?" Tony asked, sliding off the table with his hands out in what he hoped was a calming motion. His gaze flickered around. There wasn't much he could use against him, not that Marty looked like he'd put up much of a fight.

"I can't -"

There was a crash outside and an alarm started blaring, drawing Marty's attention. Tony took a step forward and swung, fist balled up and it connected hard with the babbling tech-thief's face to lay him out. Tony winced, flexing his right hand. "Sorry, kid. I have people I need to get home to."

He raced towards the door and threw it open. No guards, no immediate threats. Well, at least there was that. He picked a direction and ran.

* * *

She could feel Howard's eyes on her as she checked with the SI security one more time. Stane's people were looking for something and had been for a while. They weren't getting very far hammering at the security, which was likely why they'd gone after their stolen tech through other routes. Pepper would have thought that SHIELD wouldn't have been an easier target, but Stark Industries weren't the only ones they used for security. Just the only ones that earned their paycheck.

"I've been on this side of plenty of operations and never felt more like I'm in the wrong place."

"You're exactly where you need to be," she assured him as she reached over to look at her buzzing phone.

"Don't tell me you're good playing back up. I've seen you in action."

She looked over to the man that she still wasn't entirely sure if she should consider her father-in-law and pulled in a breath. "I want to be there too. I get that, but I'm here in part because Morgan needs me, but also because I'm the one with the security protocols to access what we need while Stark Industries is in lockdown."

Her phone buzzed again. "Is that them asking for your go-ahead?"

"That's legal," she answered, blue eyes skimming the message, and that seemed to instantly bore him. Like father, like son. Tony hated discussing legal matters. He wouldn't be particularly happy about this one either, but she had a promise to make good on. She could handle his grousing as long as he came home to her.

Their communications buzzed and Pepper hit the accept on the call. "How's it looking, Steve?"

"_Fortified_."

"Then we've got the right place," Howard answered as he settled himself into place and pulled up the holomap they'd hobbled together without any hesitation on how to access it.

"_Time to go in and say hello_," Clint chirped and Pepper pushes her phone aside. Dealing with the Fury situation could wait.

* * *

It didn't take long for Obadiah's people to start gaining on him, but even less time for Tony's body to deliver a painful reminder what his former mentor had put him through since stealing him away from his home that morning. His chest ached straight through to his back and he was having trouble pulling in enough air. He needed to get somewhere safe and fast.

The building had likely been some sort of offices at one point or another. A few long hallways with doors at every turn might have given him some place to duck away and keep his head down until the source of the ruckus - because _somebody _had set off those alarms, and it hadn't been him - found him if it hadn't been for the cameras at every angle. Obadiah was going to know exactly where he was, but with any luck that meant his team might be able to get into those same security feeds and find him too. He just had to make sure he could protect himself until then. He might not have access to a suit, but that didn't make him an easy target.

Tony made his way through several rooms before finding the closet he needed. His lips tilted into a lopsided grin at the compilation of cleaning supplies, many with the warnings _FLAMMABLE_ in bold. He stepped inside, working to find what he needed from the metal storage cabinets against the wall. Chemicals, rag, a battery, and a paperclip. Okay. That could work.

His hands shook as he started mixing chemicals and he did his best to steady them when the voices outside the door drew closer. It was fine. This was fine. He needed them close, but he also needed the mix to be just about right, and spilling it all over the metal table in the middle of the room wasn't going to help.

The voices were closing in and Tony stuffed the cloth into the mixed chemical bottle, setting it aside just long enough to flip the table to give himself some cover. He grabbed for the battery and unwound the end of his paperclip, working enough of the plastic away from the edge to start heating it up. "C'mon, c'mon," he urged as he held the makeshift lighter to the fabric. That singed it and then caught, slowly building momentum.

Just in time. The door open and Tony tossed the bottle at the newcomers. He spotted Obadiah trying to scurry out of the doorway before he ducked behind his cover, the explosion rocking the hallway and sending hot, fiery chunks of plastic back into his closet. He sat there for a long moment in the wake of it before finally peeking up and over the turned table. No one moved outside and he stood cautiously.

Stane had only had two men with him. One was on his side, fingers wrapped around his leg where pieces of plastic had done some painful damage. The other was out cold and slumped against the wall. Obadiah coughed, drawing Tony's attention, and it looked like he'd taken the brunt of the blast.

"How's it feel?" the older man asked, his voice strained and the chuckle he managed wounded more like another cough.

"What?"

"Payback. I stood over you… let you die. Now it's your turn."

Tony set his jaw. "I'm not you, Obie. I don't enjoy making people suffer."

"But you're willing. You always have been. Saw what you did to get out of that cave years ago. What you did to me."

"You mean after you hijacked my company, attacked me, and tried to kill Pepper? You've got a real skewed outlook if you think that makes me anything like you." Obadiah snorted and a shout down the way drew Tony's attention for just a moment. He could have sworn he heard the sound of Cap's shield bouncing off of something down the way and it brought the smallest smiles to his face as he turned back. "You lost."

"Least I'm not alone."

Tony saw the small EMP in his hand just as Stane pressed down. The reactor flickered and went out, sending him stumbling and crashing to his knees as his heart beat erratically. He reached out clumsily for it, the tiny device having fallen from Obadiah's now-limp hand, and his finger grazed the mechanism to turn it off. The red lights faded away, but there was no jolt of the reactor turning back on and no blue light shining through his t-shirt. "Shit," he managed, voice barely squeaking out past his vocal chords.

"Mr Stark!"

The kid. He heard the kid. He'd helped him on the redesign. If he could talk him through it, Peter could reconnect whatever wiring had been knocked loose and -

"Mr Stark! _Tony_!"

Peter was shaking him now, and Tony hadn't realized that his eyes had slipped closed. He forced them open to find the teen with every inch of fear shining through the protective lenses of his mask. He reached up, the movement awkward and heavy, and his fingers touched the dead reactor.

"Okay. Okay… Not good. How do we turn it back on? It's uh… I don't know. Mr Stark, I don't know. How do I fix it?"

His body gave a painful shudder and he couldn't find the words. It was like he was slowly sinking, water closing in around him and muffling Peter's terrified cries. Funny, the kid only seemed to call him by his first name when he was slipping away.

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: Holy crap this chapter felt like it took forever. I can't tell you how many times I'd write a scene, scrap it, start over, scrap it, shuffle it, and it just continued on. A couple of nights ago I found the idea that made it all fit together though, so it worked out!

And for anyone reading this that has ever read my Blacklist stuff, you may have recognized a cobbling of a couple of fun Tom Keen- blows- things-up moments there XD


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

For a long moment Peter found himself kneeling in the dirt, dust thick in the air and Tony Stark collapsed against the wreckage. He could hear the struggling heartbeat, smell burnt flesh, and feel the overwhelming fear that the man that had come to mean so much to him was slipping away. He was frozen there, unable to help or change what was happening, and that helpless feeling clawed at him in a way that he couldn't shake. He'd woken to it more nights than he cared to admit.

"_Parker_?"

And then the image was gone, Howard Stark's voice cutting through it like a knife.

"_Kid, we need you to be our eyes. The camera where you are was knocked out_." It was Pepper this time, and Peter felt his mind reel as he looked down to Mr Stark. He was laid out on the floor like his knees had given way and he'd just crumpled there. He'd gone completely still, eyes closed, and Peter's gaze shifted to the dead ARC reactor. Right. Right… That's what had happened. That's where he was.

"Mr Stark's unconscious. His reactor… I don't… I don't know what to do."

"_Start with a deep breath_," Pepper said calmly. "I'm working on remote access, but I don't have it yet. Can you activate the video in your mask?"

"Yeah. Yeah, Karen?"

"_Camera activated, Peter_," Karen chirped in his ear and he could hear Pepper and Tony's dad talking quietly.

"Shit."

Peter jumped at the voice behind him, surprised when he turned to see Captain Rogers there. He was pretty sure he'd never heard the older man curse. He knelt down next to Tony to check his vitals.

"_You're our eyes, kid_," Howard reminded him sharply. "_Can you get a better view of the reactor_?"

"You want me to take it out?" Peter asked uncertainty. "Won't that -?"

"It's not doing him any good right now," Cap said, his tone strained. He held up a small device that had fallen near Tony's limp form. "Looks like he got hit with one of those localized EMP's."

Peter swallowed hard and his hands were shaking as he pulled Tony's shirt back to reach the reactor itself. It stared up at it, that blue light that reminded him of the one he used to use in the Iron Man suits snuffed out, and his mind threatened to drag him right back into that moment. He couldn't force his fingers to stop shaking long enough to undo the latch that held it locked into place.

"_Anytime now,_" Howard snapped from over the comms.

"_He can't fix the wiring with his hands shaking_," Pepper said so quietly on the other end that Peter's enhances hearing was the only reason he heard her at all. "_Peter, I need you to take a few deep breaths for me._"

"Hey," Cap said quietly from his side. "Keep the camera on it. Howard, can you walk me through it?"

"_Tony said I designed the original, so yeah. Bet I can_."

Peter watched as Captain Rogers easily unlocked the reactor from its place, pulling it out. He risked a look up at Tony's face and he had gone so pale.

"_We've accessed Karen remotely to keep an eye on his vitals_," Pepper told him, her voice comforting like she'd talked others down from the looming panic that Peter was feeling. "_I just need you to focus on the reactor so that we can walk Steve through this. That's what we need from you, Peter. If you can remember anything that would help from when you helped Tony with it…_"

"I'll try," he managed, forcing his gaze away from his mentor and towards dead ARC reactor that Cap was prying open.

He listened as Howard Stark studied the internal design, Pepper using the access to Karen that she'd taken on her end to work the camera. It sounded like Stane had used the EMP device to knock the reactor on and back off several times, knocking something loose. Peter blinked hard, forcing his eyes to focus. "There. That wire that's loose is what Mr Stark said keeps the sustained power going."

"_Focusing in_," Howard confirmed and Peter didn't like how tense his voice was. "_Ye_ah. _That should be the one. Good spot, kid_."

"You'll just reconnect that there," Peter said, pointing as he spoke. "It should snap back into place."

"Here's hoping," Cap murmured. His hands were bigger and a little awkward working with the small wiring, but a hell of a lot more steady than Peter's were at the moment. He watched, not realizing he was holding his breath until Karen's soft reminder echoed in his ear that he needed to _breathe_.

"Got it," Captain Rogers said softly and the blue light brightened the reactor. He fit it back into the casing, and as he locked it into place Mr Stark jolted hard. No one said a word as he lay there a moment, pale as death and far too still. Another jolt of electricity ran through him and Peter heard him pull a sharp breath in as Pepper loosed a relieved one on the other side of the comms.

"_We've got him_," Howard managed from the other end. "_Nice work, Cap_."

"Couldn't have done it without Peter," Captain Rogers answered and that would have been something - receiving that kind of compliment from Captain America- if Mr Stark weren't still lying unconscious.

"_The authorities and medical are on their way, but _-"

"_Quinjet's faster_," Rhodey chimed in through the line, cutting Pepper off. Peter wondered if they had been broadcasting over comms the entire time. "_I've got it here, Cap, if you and Parker can get him to Metro-General._"

"Will do. We'll keep him safe."

Peter wasn't sure who the promise was made to: Tony's wife, his best friend, or his dad that had gone exceptionally quiet on the other end of the comms. All he knew as he heard the quietest grumbling from the mostly unconscious man was that they had to make good on it. Mr Stark had to be okay.

* * *

He'd been in and out the whole trip to Metro-General from what they told Pepper. By the time they let her back to see him, he was decidedly more out than in. It never ceased to terrify her how small he looked in a hospital bed with IVs and monitors hooked up to him, those expressive dark eyes closed and the colour in his face matching the sheets. The scars stood more pronounced than usual against his skin, almost as if they wanted to remind her that every second with the man she loved was on borrowed time.

Peter had offered to take Morgan outside and Howard had agreed to go with them when the pintsized princess made her demands. With Steve rushing back into the fray it gave Pepper a few quiet moments alone with her husband, his hand between her own, and a quiet prayer leaving her lips to anyone that might be willing to hear it.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard a soft knock on the door. She had expected Peter or Howard, or possibly even Peggy or Rhodey or Happy, but the figure that came into focus was not who she had expected. "Director Fury," Pepper greeted, her voice as sharp as ice.

"How is he?"

"Resting."

He motioned as if he were looking for her blessing to enter and she set her jaw, lips pressed firmly in a line that wasn't quite a frown, and somehow he took that as permission. Maybe he wasn't as good of a spy as everybody thought.

Fury moved toward the bed, his remaining good eye focused on Pepper's husband, and she thought she saw a hint of sadness there. Maybe more than a hint, if she were honest. "It may not be much of a comfort right now, but Stane is dead."

"Really dead or SHIELD lying to us dead?"

His gaze shifted to meet hers. "Really dead." He grimaced a little. "You may not believe me, but I didn't want this," he said, his voice quiet in the still hospital room. "Tony is…. I have a lot of respect for him. For what he's become."

"You should have left him alone."

"I would if it'd been my choice. With Stane… there wasn't one. With everything else…. Sometimes it's bigger than what we want. Your husband understands that."

"And I suppose you think you do too?"

"I do."

"And you think that makes you a hero?"

"It makes me a pragmatist."

Pepper pushed a long breath out through her nose, pulled her husband's limp hand up to her lips, and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "And I'm a woman of my word," she said softly, her eyes flickering to meet Fury's single one. "I told you that if Tony was hurt in any way that you would answer for it. I've been…. looking at the options. Setting them up I knew there was a chance he wouldn't come home from this, but I hoped…. and the fact that he's here now is the only thing that saved you."

"Exactly how far were you planning on going, Ms Stark?"

"I don't know," she admitted softly. "If you'd gotten him killed… thankfully we don't have to find out."

"He's alive, but something tells me that you still don't have any interest in moving past this incident."

Okay, maybe a bit smarter than she had given him credit for. "No. You're going to resign from SHIELD."

Fury snorted. "I'd like to know how you plan to -"

"It's a business. A business that keeps people safe, maybe, but if suddenly all your security contracts run dry you'll have to answer to that."

"That's millions for Stark Industries. You'd do that?"

"Director Fury, there is _nothing_ I wouldn't do to protect my family." She held his gaze for a long moment. "It's your call. Resign on your own or I will force you into it."

"I believe you."

"Then you're gone."

"I suppose I don't have a choice. Any preference for my successor?"

"We both know that's already set. I just want you out."

He gave a brief, stiff nod. "I wish you all the best, Ms Stark. Hard as that may be to believe."

"I don't really care, Mr Fury."

She waited until she was sure he was gone before folding over the bed, Tony's hand clutched in hers, and she loosed a shuddering breath.

* * *

Coming around in a hospital room surrounded by blinding lights, loud machinery, and that terrible smell that he couldn't seem to shake was one of his least favourite things. Better than not waking up at all though, he supposed, but he would have much rather have been in his own bed.

Tony blinked hard, working his way through the thick fog that came with medication, and a smile touched his lips as he heard a soft "Hey," from his left. He turned, the movement sluggish, to find Pepper's smiling face waiting for him. Her eyes were rimmed red and he groped for her hand.

"Hey. You been crying?"

"It's been a long couple of days," she said softly and leaned down to press a kiss to his temple.

"We get him?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Everybody okay?"

"Well, one person got hurt, but he always proves to be a lot tougher than people think."

Worry settled over him, but the question died on his lips at her teasing smile. Him. She was talking about him. Right. "Rude. I'm medicated."

"Not that heavily." She reached up, her fingers brushing his hair back and he felt his eyelids droop dangerously. "How are you feeling?"

"Huh? What?" he managed, blinking hard and having to work back through the sleepy fog that was settling back into place. "Okay. I'm okay." He shifted, forcing his mind to focus on what he could remember. Stane had killed his ARC reactor with the EMP device after he'd blown him to hell, and then…. "Pete."

Pepper's soothing motion paused only so she could point to the other side of the room. On one end of the couch, bunched up in a way that made Tony's back hurt just looking at him, slept Peter Parker. Tony's gaze traveled down the length of the couch to find Howard stretched out on the other end, Morgan sprawled out against his chest and they both appeared to be napping as well. It left him wondering just how long he'd been out.

"Morgan's been switching between them every time she wakes up," Pepper murmured affectionately.

Tony saw the little girl in question stir, her dark eyes blinking open, and there was an audible _oof_ as she launched herself off Howard. "Daddy!" she squealed, bounding across the hospital room and onto the bed before anyone dared tell her not to. She threw her arms around him and Tony wrapped one of his own around her, reveling in the way she clung with her face pressed into his shoulder. "You were really sleepy."

"Yeah I was. You take good care of me?"

"Uh-huh. Mommy and Pete and, and Howard and me, we all took turns."

"You did a great job," Tony praised tiredly and felt her wiggle into a more comfortable position. He risked a look over at Peter and Howard. Both had been woken up by the excitable little girl, but neither dared intrude on her moment.

"Gave us a scare," Howard broke the silence from their side and it was like breaking down a dam for Peter.

"I'm so glad you're okay! You passed out and I didn't know what to do. I mean, I knew that I knew how the reactor works - I helped put it together- but then my mind just _poof_. Blanked. I couldn't stop shaking and all I could think of was what happened when you beat Thanos and I just… I just totally freaked out and I thought you were…" He pulled in a breath, trembling but slow, and it seemed to settle him. "Pepper talked me down."

"She's good at that," Tony said, reaching with his free hand for her. "She's had a lot of practice talking down panic attacks."

The teen blinked owlishly at him. "With who?"

"Him," Pepper said, her voice lighter than the situation, likely for Morgan's sake, and she pressed a kiss to Tony's hair as she stood, freeing a side of the hospital bed.

"You, uh…. really?"

"C'mere." He motioned as best as he could with the way Morgan had leaned herself up against him and Peter slowly circled the bed. "You did good, kid."

Peter ducked his head. "You were out for most of it."

"Yeah, well I know you, and I know you did good. I'm okay. And I'm gonna be okay. You don't get rid of me that easy."

The teen gave a sniff. "Promise?"

"Promise."

"I was conscious. I'll vouch for him," Howard offered from his place. "He did really good."

Peter's attention jerked towards him. "You yelled at me," he accused like it was the first time he really remembered it.

Howard looked startled for a second. "Yelling's an exaggeration….."

"Everybody handles stress in different ways," Pepper said in that tone she used on their more stubborn board members. "Let's let Tony get some rest?"

"I'm good," he argued, even as he felt himself drifting. He just knew he didn't want anyone in the room to leave. "Stay?"

"We will, Mr Stark," Peter promised and Tony heard more than saw him settle into Pepper's vacated chair.

"Not goin' anywhere." Howard's promise was the last thing he heard as he drifted to sleep.

* * *

**TBC**

**Notes**: I was chatting with a friend about the scene where Tony wakes up to see Peter, Howard, and Morgan all crashed out on the couch in his hospital room and she joked that she wished that she could draw it, and hard same really. If anyone reading this is interested and takes either requests and/or commissions, let me know. :D


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

There was something beautiful about a successful mission in which everybody came home. Peggy had seen the good and the bad over the years, but a death could make even the most successful mission feel like an utter failure. They had cut it close with Howard's son, and she hadn't been able to do anything but listen to the back and forth on how to restart the ARC reactor and bring him back around.

Steve had held everything together until that night. He'd expected to go to the hospital and find himself on the receiving end of some off-colour joke from his injured friend, but had found Tony still unconscious, and the doctors had reiterated that he needed rest. She hadn't even known how to begin to comfort him as they returned to their flat and he'd sunk into a chair, the soft confession of wondering if he'd done enough leaving his lips.

Tony was alright in the end. A little worn down, but that was to be expected. They'd kept him in the hospital for several days to make sure nothing unforseen cropped up. The entire time, Peggy had looked for an opportunity to finish the conversation she'd tried to start in his workshop before Nick Fury had interrupted them. The timing had never been right, and she'd started to wonder if that was a sign of sort. She'd always been a decisive person, so the fact that it wasn't just her head and her heart that were conflicted, but two very real desires, left her in a difficult position between them. One, to be with the man she loved, and the second to make a difference. She could do that here, and that had been what she'd told herself when she had left. It had made sense, but the way those that knew her name talked about her… Impressive women of this era had looked to her for inspiration, and to choose her own desires over what she felt was her duty was selfishness to a degree that she wasn't sure she could live with.

And that was what left her, once again, steeped in conflict as she moved about the room of the informal gathering at the Stark home that was part a welcome home from the hospital for Tony and, though far less vocalised, part a chance to say goodbye to Howard. He had put his own return off again and again, and unless he chose not to return at all, he would be leaving the next day. Perhaps, if she went, he wouldn't have to. He could stay with his son.

"You look awful distracted, Peg."

Speak of the devil. The thought pulled her lips up at the corners as she looked to her friend. "Hello, Howard."

"Hiya." She knew that look. He wasn't going to let her slide away. "Thinking about how much you're gonna miss me?"

"Oh, are we admitting that you're going now?"

"Gotta start at some point," he answered, his tone not quite as chipper now.

"Have you thought about staying?"

He quirked a dark brow at her. "Peggy Carter, are you of all people trying to tempt me?"

"The problem was always that one of us needed to be there to make sure SHIELD was formed correctly and -"

"That's not the only reason." Howard glanced over, his gaze softening as it landed on Tony who was rolling his eyes at Peter Parker who was showing him something on his phone. "I wanna stay… but I said I wanna do right by him and I meant it. Doing that means making sure he gets some peace here. He's got it in his head that if he's not around the whole damn planet will be destroyed or something like that, even if it's not his timeline to worry about."

"An ego worthy of a Stark."

"Doesn't mean he's wrong."

"I suppose not," she chuckled softly.

"You know… you goin' back's gonna put Cap in a bind, but you gotta tell him."

She whipped back around to look at him, finding a set of clever dark eyes fixed on her and the argument died on her lips. He knew. Of course he knew. "I haven't made up my mind."

"So you didn't know when you came to ask Tony?"

"I was toying with the idea."

"Uh-huh." He ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it back and finally met her eyes. "I know you didn't ask for my advice -"

"No I did not."

"- but if you do decide to go, give him some heads up, huh? He crossed time and space for you once."

"He can't come with us, Howard. Look at all of this. I can't ask him to leave it for me."

"Man loves ya, Peg."

"I know, and I love him. More than I can say." She pulled in a steadying breath. "For all I know Tony doesn't have enough to send me with you and there's no decision to make."

Howard snorted a laugh that hardly sounded real and reached out, patting her on the shoulder as he moved by. "If you're worried about me screwing it up, Peg, don't. I got this. All of it."

He left her standing there, sauntering off with a wide grin that was likely only half fake as he approached Morgan, and Peggy shook her head. "Ego worthy of a Stark," she muttered, and started for his son.

* * *

Tony was feeling the evening weigh on him. It hadn't been planned, necessarily. Not that anybody would admit to at any rate. The car had pulled in that evening and instead of a quiet house where he could just crash out on the couch before going up to his own bed, there were people. Steve and Peggy hadn't been a surprise. Really Peter hadn't either. Okay neither had Rhodey, and with him had been Hill…. Clint has popped in, saying that he needed to get home but didn't want to _miss out_. Yeah. Okay. It had been planned.

"You still awake there?"

Tony cracked one eye open from where he'd slouched down on the couch, most everyone with the better sense to give him a few minutes' reprieve. Everyone but Howard. "No."

The other man chuckled, taking a heavy seat next to him. "You talk to Peggy?"

Ah. This was not a social visit to the couch. "I did."

"And?"

Tony finally opened both eyes, turning his gaze on Howard to try to decide how much he knew.

"She's goin' huh?"

"I got the gist of what she wanted when she came until the garage that morning."

"Tony, listen —"

"She's a big girl, Howard. Neither of us are gonna talk her out of this." He nudged him gently in the side at the crestfallen look. "Hey. I… I haven't had a chance to apologize."

"For what?"

"Unleashing on you the other night. I was pissed and I… I let it get to me. You didn't deserve that."

"Probably did, but all the same…. thanks."

Tony's lips quirked at the corner before straightening back out. "I'm gonna miss you. You know that right?"

Silence followed the question and he glanced over to see Howard's gaze fixed on the fireplace in front of them. "I keep telling myself I'll see you again. Get to… to see you born, first steps, first words…" He looked over, a flash of confusion flashing. "Is that the right order? Well, you know what I mean." Tony chuckled and leaned back against the cushions, listing a little to his left, but Howard didn't seem to mind as Tony's shoulder touched his and there was something comforting in it. "I've done the math, and the year, your age… I don't need to know the exact year I croak. I'm already gonna be up there when you're born."

"'Bout as old as I was when Morgan was born," Tony answered, and somewhere he knew he probably shouldn't say that much, but exhaustion was getting the better of him.

"Okay…. Okay. So we get some time?"

"You will."

There was a moment before Howard slowly shifted so that Tony would have had to work to keep from leaning fully into him. "I'm not… good at it," Howard said softly. "At, uh…. I'm not good at telling folks the good things. It always sounds so overblown or nowhere near enough. Guess I just didn't have a baseline. My old man… I never wanted to be him. I wanted to be better."

"Dad?" Tony managed, effectively cutting off the awkward meandering.

"Yeah?"

"Love you too."

It was a jump. Years ago Tony couldn't have pieced it together to make the leap, but even tired as he was, he knew Howard was trying his best.

There was a hard, desperate sounding sniff to his left and a Howard leaned in, pressing an awkward kiss to his hair. "Love you too, kid. Don't forget it? When I'm gone?"

Tony mumbled what he hoped Howard knew was an affirmation and loosed a breath. Strange had talked about being able to repeat moments in time when he had the Time Stone. If Tony could do that, this would be a moment he would choose.

* * *

It was always a long drive back from the Stark cabin, but it felt longer with the uncomfortable silence that saturated the vehicle. Something was wrong. That much anybody could tell, and Steve played over every second of information he knew from the impromptu welcome home and goodbye party. He came up with a few possibilities, each one sounding less and less likely, and he couldn't help but remember Howard's advice from so many years before about understanding women. He loosed a frustrated breath and adjusted his grip on the wheel.

"I spent a year mourning you," Peggy said quietly from her seat, her head leaned back against the headrest and her gaze following the passing terrain. "Going down like you did… I played it over and over again, and I thought I'd moved on until you showed up on my doorstep. It was…" He saw a soft smile pull at her lips from the corner of his eye. "I wouldn't trade this time for anything, Steve."

He swallowed hard, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew what she was about to say. "You're going back."

"I am."

"Then I'll go with you."

"Tony knows you well, doesn't he?"

Well that was a change in topics. "What do you mean?"

"I spoke to him this evening. Well, I tried to bring it up a few days ago, but Nick Fury dropped the Stane case in our laps. He must have caught the purpose of the visit though. He had extra Pym Particles prepared for the trip… one for me and one for you."

Steve pulled over for that one. "He did what?"

"He said that he was fairly confident that if I went, you'd be inclined to follow."

He stared at her, his mind racing a hundred miles a minute. Tony was giving him the out he himself had been denied.

"But I'd like to propose an alternative."

"You don't want me to go with you, do you?" he asked softly and it was like he could feel his heart breaking. After so long, after so much…. they'd had their chance and she had decided she didn't want it after all.

"Steve, you're needed here."

He met her gaze and held it. "If you don't want to be with me, if that's your choice, okay-"

"It's not that," she huffed, shaking her head. "You idiot, it could never be that." She reached out to touch his hand that was still gripping the steering wheel even though they'd pulled to the side of the road. "Your team needs you and I… I need to do this." She swallowed hard and her grip tightened. Steve loosed his hold on the wheel and turned his hand over, hers fitting there. "I know it's asking a lot, I do, but it'll only be ten seconds for you, isn't that right?"

His spiraling thoughts slammed to a stop. "Ten seconds? You're coming back?"

"That's the idea."

"You left that part out," he murmured, and she squeezed his hand.

"I don't want to give you up, but I can't throw away a chance to have the kind of impact there that I had here. I'll need a few years to work with Howard on it, but I'll come back to you."

She held his gaze for a long moment like she was waiting for a response and he pulled in a breath. So many things could go wrong on her end. She knew so much that she might try to preemptively fix and find herself on the dangerous side of Hydra all over again. The dangers were infinite, each decision she made upon her return opening up new doors and potential threats.

All of which she was fully capable of facing down. She always had been. That fiery spirit was one of the many traits that had drawn him to her so early on. She didn't need anyone to protect her, not even him. He had to trust her here. Trust her to come back to him. "Okay."

"Okay," she echoed and he put the vehicle back into gear, forcing himself to focus on the road ahead of them.

* * *

Howard didn't want to get up. Getting up meant admitting the day had begun and admitting the day had begun meant he had to go. On the flip side, not getting up meant wasting precious moments with the people he could hear already making a ruckus from the kitchen.

Slowly Howard pulled himself out of bed and grabbed for the familiar robe that Tony had finally stopped trying to take back from him. He wrapped it around himself and tied it closed before padding out into the main part of the house to follow the Parker kid's excitable ramblings. He reached the kitchen where the teen was balanced on one of the bar stools. Morgan sat on the kitchen island, swinging her bare feet and watching her daddy put together something for breakfast. Tony looked better. Tired, worn, but better.

"Are you going home today, Howard?" Morgan asked as she swiveled around on her perch, her clever dark gaze on him like she wanted him to know his quiet footsteps weren't fooling her. "Daddy's making sad food."

"You love cinnamon toast!" Tony argued, overexaggerating the feigned hurt expression until Morgan giggled.

"Uh-huh, but I didn't ask. You did."

"I think she thinks you're trying to butter her up," Howard offered as he took the stool next to Parker who was quickly losing the battle not to grin at the early Stark household shenanigans.

"You are no help," his son grumbled and turned back to his breakfast preparations.

Morgan poked Howard in the shoulder. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I am," he answered softly.

She scooted closer to him on the table and suddenly he had a pair of five-year-old arms wrapped around his neck. "Don't be sad. We'll miss you, but the other me will love you too."

Howard blinked hard, pulling back to look the little girl in the face. "What other you?"

"The one, the one where you're gonna be old like Daddy's picture." She pointed up to the glasses on the shelf and Howard followed her line of sight to a framed photo that had been pushed back against the wall so that it wasn't readily visible unless someone was looking for it. Now that he saw it, though, there was no question. It was him. Older and…. very grey, but him.

"How did you…." he started, and she grinned up at him.

Tony chuckled as he put the soon-to-be toast in the oven. "You're too smart for our good, little miss. How long you had us figured out?"

"Forever."

"Wow. Long time."

"Yeah."

"Speaking of photos," Parker cut in, hopping off of his stool and grabbing something off of Tony's holodesk. "Mr Stark - Tony - has a better printer than I'd ever be able to find so he let me use his. I caught a really good candid of you guys on my phone last night." Howard didn't have time to ask what the hell any of that meant as Parker handed him a coloured photo, not bothering to take a breath as he did. "I thought you could take it with you…. So you had a picture of him. You know, since you have to go and everything."

Howard took the photograph from the teen carefully. He and Tony were perfectly framed in it, both mid-laugh over something Morgan had done across the room from them and even with the years' difference between them there was no denying the similarities. The same crinkles around their eyes, the way they dipped their head and the grin took over. Howard brushed his thumb over Tony's smiling face and he felt his own lips tug at the corner as he looked up at Parker who looked as nervous as he sounded. "Thanks, kid."

"Tony got one too," Parker explained. "I thought it'd be cool if you both had one."

"Very cool," Howard managed, not quite trusting his own voice. Thankfully the timer on the oven chimed, breaking through the moment. Morgan chattered and Howard listened, glancing over to see Tony's relaxed smile that had tugged into place. He felt himself echo the expression. Today was the day, no matter how much he wished that it wasn't, but until that very moment when he was hurled back through time, he was determined to enjoy every last second he had where he was.

* * *

Emotional responses had never really been his forte. He laughed at all the wrong moments and made inappropriate jokes that were met with stern looks of disapproval. He'd like to think he'd gotten a little better when Morgan was born. Being a father had helped to put things in perspective, and he knew that every move he made, every word he said was being taken in by that clever little mind. Feeling that weight of responsibility had helped him to curb some of his wilder impulses. That day it was just helping him keep up a desperate façade of calm, laughing and joking with the people closest to him like they weren't about to send Howard home. It would let Morgan enjoy the last day with her grandfather at least, even if Tony could see the same underlying stress in Howard's every move that he felt clawing at his own chest. Well, he'd failed miserably at keeping his distance. No way around that now.

The call came in late afternoon. The platform that they had used to send Steve with the stones had been delivered to to SI building that Tony had commandeered for the Avengers, all the equipment with it just waiting for him to make sure everything was working properly.

"I could help, you know," Howard said from off to the side. "Just give me a wrench and I'll -" Tony shot him a look that pulled a grin from his father. "It's not like I didn't have a version that got us here. This is just… better."

"Uh-huh," Tony answered, but a smile was tugging into place despite his best efforts.

"Wouldn't expect anything less from your design though."

Tony took a knee, reaching into the mechanisms to tighten a bolt. "This is actually Bruce's design. You'd have liked him."

There was a long pause. "Is he…?"

"Teaching, from what I hear. He's earned a little downtime."

Howard came to squat down next to where Tony was kneeling. "So have you, you know."

His right hand twinged a little as if it wanted to give him a reminder of the long term price he'd paid for his part in the battle against Thanos. He found the other man watching him carefully and he shook it off. "I'll take it easy, Howard."

"I don't believe that for a second," Howard snorted and he leaned back against the equipment. "Just… watch out for yourself? Maybe let your friends do that too?"

Tony glanced over at him, feeling the bolt lock in like it needed to. "I can do that."

Howard gave a sharp nod, mumbling his acceptance of the promise.

"You know," Tony said against his better judgement, "I could use some help."

Howard lit up at the statement and Tony didn't have to ask twice. The work went quicker with a second set of capable hands and they had it ready by the time the others trickled in.

Pete had stayed out at the cabin so that Pepper could join them in the city without worrying if watching Howard disappear in front of her might be too much for their daughter. Cap and Peggy showed and they both looked stressed. Maybe he'd decided to stay after all. Interesting. Wilson and Barnes showed not too far behind them and Rhodey and Clint were the latecomers.

"How you holding up?" Rhodey asked quietly, pulling Tony's attention from where Howard was talking with Cap's little group.

He shrugged. "It is what it is. We knew he was going back."

"I was referring to the fact that your heart just about stopped on us a few days ago, but I see where your head's at."

Tony turned, thrown by the statement, and found his best friend grinning at him. He rolled his eyes, which only made Rhodey grin wider.

It did start fading when he spoke again, his voice more serious this time. "You guys got close with this. Hell, closer than you were when you were growing up. No one is going to blame you for acknowledging that it sucks."

"It sucks," Tony deadpanned.

"See, there we go."

"Acknowledging it doesn't make it any better though."

Rhodey offered him a thin smile. "I hear Peggy's going back. Cap too?"

"Not sure yet."

"But you're giving him the option?"

"Yeah."

"We need him, Tony. With you out of the field -"

"I know," he snapped, grimacing after he did. "Sorry. I know, but it's his choice."

"Hell of one."

"No kidding."

Tony turned to look over at them just in time to see Cap stick a hand out for Howard and the shorter man reach forward only to drag him into an awakened hug. "Gonna miss ya, Cap, but at least I know you're gonna be alright. Didn't totally fail you."

"You didn't fail me at all," the blond answered.

Howard's grin sobered a little and he motioned to Peggy. "I promise to send her back in one piece."

Well that was interesting. Cap wasn't going, but Peggy was coming back. Look at him finding a way to cut the wire rather than lay down on top of it. Or maybe that was her idea.

"I think we're as ready as we'll ever be," Peggy announced, her voice not nearly as steady as it usually was.

Tony turned to where Pepper was giving Howard a hug goodbye, and the two were speaking quietly. He cleared his throat. "You ready?"

"No, but I guess it's time," he answered sadly.

Tony crossed the space between them and held out the GPS device. "It's pre-set. Destroy the tech once you get back."

"Sure."

"I'm going to pretend I believe you," he murmured.

There was a moment in which Howard just stood there, like he was frozen in front of him. If he was struggling with what to do, how to say goodbye, he couldn't be sure, but Tony broke the awkward moment by pulling him into a hug of his own. "I didn't get to say goodbye before," he said quietly so that only Howard could hear him. "Not gonna make that mistake again."

He felt Howard's arms tighten around him and the other man sniffed hard before releasing him, his eyes a little glassy. "Now or never," he muttered and turned to join Peggy on the platform.

They stood ready, both tapping the housing compartments for the nanosuits as their last act of preparation. Peggy met Steve's eyes. "Ten seconds," she said, the words ringing out like a promise they had already made each other.

"Ten seconds," he agreed.

"You know," Howard said as Tony crossed over to the control panel, and his voice was only slightly more steady than before. "I've done a lot of impressive things and my guess is I'm not done, but… none of it's gonna compare to you. I'm gonna do right by you this time."

The promise rang out for everyone to hear and Tony looked up to meet his gaze. He should argue with him, remind him that that could change everything, but it was pointless. It had already been changed. There was no stopping it now, and, if he were honest, he didn't think he wanted to. "You already have. I love you, Dad."

"You too, Son."

He pulled in a breath, hand shaking as he set the controls into place to send Howard and Peggy back to 1946.

* * *

Notes: I was told that I should put a warning on this to let people know that it would cause pain and tears. If it helps, I'm right there too?

Gah... Sorry it took so long to get this written. Honestly, I think my brain just didn't want to write that final scene. I knew from the beginning that I'd have to send him back, but kind of like Tony, I just didn't know it was going to be so damn hard.

The next chapter is the final chapter. Will Peggy make it back? Guess you'll have to wait and see ;)


	24. Chapter 24: Epilogue

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Epilogue**

Silence permeated the room so deeply that Steve could swear he was drowning in it. He couldn't breathe, and the only way he kept the hundreds of reasons that Peggy might not come back at bay was by focusing on the ten second count.

He reached ten and his blue gaze snapped to his friend who stood at the panel, looking a little dazed. "Tony!"

Tony flinched at the sound of his name, startled. "Right. Right, sorry," he mumbled and pushed the controls into place.

The machine whirled, powering up again, and there was a flash. Steve blinked hard, focusing in on the figure in all white that appeared. She was the same height and build as Peggy, but it wasn't until the helmet snapped away and he saw her face that he found that he could breathe again. The woman that he loved looked a little older than she had just ten seconds before and he wondered just how long it had been on her end.

Those soft brown eyes met his and he saw her lips tilt into a smile. "Hello, Steve."

He was moving before he gave himself permission, covering the ground between them and her smile didn't fade as he reached her, pulling her up into his arms. Her laugh echoed in his ear and he lifted her off the ground to bury his face in the crook of her neck. "I missed you."

Peggy pulled back just enough for her feet to reach the ground before she leaned in and kissed him. He met her there, her arms still around his neck. She didn't let go even as they broke, and her soft voice was teasing. "Ten seconds for you, ten years for me. I don't want to hear it from you."

"Ten years? Did you -?"

"It was time," she promised. "Howard can manage the rest." She pressed another kiss to his lips before finally releasing him to turn towards Tony. He stood staring at her like he'd half expected Howard to come back too. If he had, Steve wasn't sure he would have been too surprised.

Peggy's smile was strained and she stepped down from the platform towards him. "Tony, your father-"

Tony's expression instantly shifted to worry. "Is he alright? It's not-"

"He wanted me to tell you that he misses you," Peggy cut him off, her tone calming. "And that he loves you. So that you don't forget it."

The phrasing must have been verbatim, because Steve watched as his friend's worry melted into something decidedly more complicated. His breathing hitched like he was struggling to find some kind of response before he finally managed a quick nod, turned, and was out the door. Pepper looked to Peggy briefly before following him out and Peggy, in turn, looked to Steve. "Howard didn't take it much better on the other end."

"He'll be okay," Steve promised. "Both of them."

"I know."

"And how are you?"

Peggy stepped closer again and that smile of hers could still make him melt. If anyone else had remained in the room or they'd left after Tony and Pepper, Steve had no idea. He didn't care. As Peggy fit back into his arms they were the only ones left for just a moment, and that moment could last forever.

* * *

She wasn't sure if it was phrase or something else that had triggered the retreat, but it was a rare moment when Pepper saw him run quite that fast. She risked a brief look at Peggy to see if the other woman might have a hint for her, but there was nothing, and she had to scurry after her husband to catch up.

Pepper found Tony in a side hallway. He was leaned heavily against the wall, head tilted and eyes closed, with anguish etched into every line on his face. She made sure her shoes sounded the steady _click click click _of her approach, and he didn't flinch as her fingers touched his shoulder. Instead he shifted his weight so that he could lean a little into her instead. Pepper wrapped her arms around him, kissing his shoulder, and she heard his loose a long breath. Then nothing. Silence stretched on and she held onto him, offering silent support.

After a long moment his breathing hitched. She opened her eyes to find silent tears streaming down his cheeks and she moved to wipe at them.

"He needed to go," Tony whispered, his voice raw.

"That doesn't make it hurt any less," she offered.

"It should. I knew he was going. I just thought that…."

"He'd come back?" Pepper ventured softly and he stiffened in her arms.

"No. He knew why he had to go."

"Tony, honey. Look at me." She waited until he did. "You can know you did the right thing - both of you - and it still hurt like hell. You can still wish things could be different."

"But it can't be."

The statement was soft she almost missed it. She leaned in, pressing a kiss to his cheek in a way that had always been a sign of comfort between them. "But you can wish it could be. There's nothing wrong about that."

He huffed quietly and groped for her hand. She took it and gave it a squeeze. "I love you."

"You too."

"You want to go home?"

"Yeah. More than anything. Anything I can do, anyway."

She felt the corners of her lips tilt up as she led him towards the exit. Let the others handle the aftermath this once. He was her only focus right then.

* * *

"Last call, Madam Secretary!" he heard Pepper shout from the doorway of their bedroom and Tony's dark eyes lingered on her just a moment. Her red hair was hanging down in loose waves, a soft blue bridesmaid dress that was almost the same colour as her eyes still being smoothed out with one hand, her heels held in the other.

"Just a _minute_!" Morgan called back. "Not done yet!"

Tony choked on a laugh as he fiddled with the cufflinks on his shirt. "I thought you said she was ready twenty minutes ago?"

Pepper turned a look on him and he wondered if somehow this was going to be his fault. "And we should have been out the door fifteen. That would have cut down on her time to spill something on her dress."

He reached for the vest on the bed and shrugged it on. "You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"She had motor oil all over her five hundred dollar dress, Tony. The only nice dress she hadn't grown out of by the time the fundraiser had rolled around."

"The press thought it was adorable."

Pepper rolled her eyes and slipped her shoes on as Tony flashed her his most innocent grin and kissed her cheek. He walked past her. "Morgan H Stark, you ready?"

He tapped the door as he stepped into his daughter's room and found her sitting down on the floor, her layered and fluffy skirt pooled all around her. The little blue dress - one she had complained about wholeheartedly when they'd gotten it. She wanted a _red and gold_ dress, not _blue_ \- looked to be in one piece and clean. For now. In her hand she held the bow made out of the same material as the dress. "It came out," she announced with a pout.

"Gotcha covered, kiddo," he answered and knelt down on the floor with her. Morgan immediately handed him the bow and he started working on it.

"Why didn't Aunt Peggy bring Howard back?"

The question caught him off guard. In the couple of weeks that had passed since their latest time travel escapades, Morgan has seemed to accept Howard's departure without missing a beat. She had certainly reacted with more calm than Tony had felt over the whole situation. His turmoil has left him knotted up and quiet for days, finally breaking his depressive streak when Cap had reached out to ask if he'd be willing to be a part of his and Peggy's wedding. Morgan hadn't broached the subject once. Until now.

The little girl's father cleared his throat, willing his stiff fingers to finish tying the bow in her hair. "He had things he had to do."

"Like what?"

"Like run an organization that will keep people safe for a while."

"What else?"

She was staring at him now, all the curiosity in the world expressed in those brown eyes. Tony offered her a smile. "Well, you know he went back to the past, right?"

"Uh-huh," she answered him in a tone that embodied the _duh_ reaction he'd hoped to stave off a couple more years at least.

"When he left I hadn't been born yet. And if there's no me, there's no you, and a universe without Morgan Stark would be-"

"Boring."

He snorted, gathering her up in his arms and kissing her cheek. "Exactly." He moved to the length mirror leaning against the wall. "How's it look?"

Morgan tilted her head, studying her daddy's handiwork. "Mommy's is prettier."

"Not wrong, but ouch."

She grinned at him, leaning in as kissing his scarred cheek. "I like yours better," she said in a stage whisper. "Don't tell Mommy."

"It'll be our secret. You ready?"

"Yeah."

He shifted her so that he could carry her out. Pepper met them on the landing, his coat in hand, and Tony offered a smile. It was a new day - a good day - and they'd celebrate it together. A wedding with the team and he was determined to make up for Steve's lack of bachelor party after the vows were exchanged. In the wake of all the chaos and at the beginning of yet another new chapter, they had a sliver of peace. Of family, and as they piled into the car to make their way to Brooklyn, it was impossible to deny that's what they were. And somewhere, on the other side of time, Howard would remain a part of that.

* * *

**End**.

Notes: Between being super busy at Austin Film Festival this past weekend and just... not being ready for this to end, this was an incredibly difficult chapter to write for the low word count. At least it ends on fluff, right? Avengers wedding for Steve and Peggy and tons of fun and fluff.

I also have two scenarios that I will likely never write, but please pick your favourite and assume one of them happens in this timeline's future:

The first is that a few years in the future, Peter and Morgan join forces, figure out how to find Howard's timeline, and jump forward with full intention of bringing him back as a surprise for Tony's birthday. Instead it doesn't go as planned and Tony has to follow them to save them.

The second is that during that little point in the last chapter where Howard was chatting with Cap, Sam, and Bucky, Bucky told him how he was going to die. Howard made arrangements, and instead of being killed by the Winter Soldier the Starks disappear, never to be found again. Howard jumps himself and Maria forward and into the MCU timeline to show up just a few months later from the end of this story at the new Avenger's Tower. So while it's been 45 years for Howard, it's only been a few months for Tony.

For Nano this year, I'm actually working on a script for a series that a girl could only hope Disney+ would let her write that dives into Tony and Rhodey's MIT years. There's a good chance I won't post it until it's complete just because of the structure of scripts, but if you'd like to see any chatter/sneak peeks, please follow me on Tumblr!

I'll also start posting a Tony and Steve fic that takes place shortly after Avengers1 shortly.

Until next time, I hope you guys enjoyed the ride :)


End file.
